No matter what your age or background may be, there is always scope for you to have a healthy heart. However, everybody’s needs are different.

While a child needs his parents to discourage junk food, a working executive needs to learn more about stress management. Whatever bracket you fall under, there is always a way to make your lifestyle more heart friendly.

GO GLUTEN FREE: A BEGINNERS GUIDE

July 10, 2017

Gluten intolerance or a more severe form of it known as coeliac disease has been on a rise and more and more people are choosing to go gluten free for life. While it sounds like a monumental task, believe us when we say it’s not so bad.

Here’s a beginners guide to go gluten free!

The Cause

Gluten is a specific type of protein widely found in grains like wheat, barley, etc. It can cause allergies and diseases mostly related to the intestine.

Go Shopping

Going gluten free can be a big change to your diet so when you first decide to go gluten free, take a trip to a loaded departmental store and buy your stock. You’ll be required to read the contents of almost every product but you’ll be surprised to see the available variety that is gluten free.

Your List

Weigh your options and start with consulting a dietician or going the natural way. Indulge in fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, different types of nuts and seeds, egg and dairy products, chicken, seafood, pulses, and more.

What Are You Giving Up?

If you are fond of bread and its variants, as well as pastas, pizzas, etc. then that will be the most difficult thing to give up. Bid adieu to muffins, croissants, bagels, burgers, etc. You might get lucky to find gluten free pasta in some stores but it is still not widely available. Corn and rice are gluten free, easily available and easy to incorporate in your diet.

The good news is that there are gluten free alternatives to every food item; it might take some adjusting in terms of availability and taste. Practicing caution should be a priority but you can always enjoy a meal with family and friends with a wine glass on the side if you plan well. More and more eateries are going gluten free by offering gluten free customizations to your meals. While it may look like too much effort at first, it will eventually become a habit, and a healthy one at that!

Heart diseases are alarmingly becoming common among people of all age groups and while doctors and experts always blame our lifestyle choices for them, a layman often ignores it because of our innate wishful nature of thinking that it will not affect us and when the age comes to be a little more careful, we’ll make lifestyle changes accordingly.

Well it is time to give your wishful thinking brain cells some rest and make gradual changes and efforts in your lifestyle for a fuller heart and life. The truth is that health problems don’t occur suddenly; they develop gradually throughout your life with every little choice you make with food, sleep, exercise, stress and other such factors. Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease stresses on the fact that the “basics of a heart-healthy life are as easy as ABCDE: Assessing your risk, Blood pressure control, Cigarette cessation and Cholesterol control, Diabetes treatment and Diet optimization, and Exercise.”

20-30:

Working hard and partying harder?

Quit smoking and regulate your drinking.

Experiment with food and know how to cook yourself a healthy meal. Choose a meal that completes your nutritional requirements while relying on a lot of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins,
low saturated fat, healthy oils, whole grains, less sugaretc.

Try different exercises and activities to identify a routine that you enjoy and can follow for a long time to come. Invest in extra-curricular and social activities like yoga, dancing to channelize stress.

30-40:

Work-life balance hard to maintain?
As you get more settled in life, so does your body.

Keep your body numbers updated. Go for regular checkups and know your cholesterol, weight, blood pressure and sugar, etc. Be quick to make changes in your patterns if you see any abnormalities.

Keeping your body moving is more important than ever at this age. Try to incorporate small walks in your working hours.

While a fully functional kitchen might not be your priority in your mid-twenties, make eating at home a habit and also a fun activity that you and your partner do together.

Avoid self-medication and treatment. Don’t hesitate to show a doctor and discuss the causes and symptoms.

40-50:

With many bodily changes like menopause in women and erectile dysfunctions in men, this is the time to pay heed to every little health concern.

Even the smallest problem should be discussed with the doctor and any unusual symptom should not be taken for granted.

Train yourself to perform basic first-aid activities and emergency treatments to be better equipped in case of emergency.

50-60:

It is time to slow down and give your body a chance to age graciously.

Be in the know-how of your risks of a heart attack. Take necessary medication and precaution to lower heart stress levels and factors that contribute to it.

Chances are that you will have to be on some sort of medication while continuously trying to keep up with your healthy lifestyle habits.

70 and beyond:

Stay organized to stay healthy.

If you are on multiple medications, we suggest you stay organized to reduce dependence on others and follow a routine that includes a healthy mix of diet, exercise, rest and social activity.

A cumulative practice of healthy habits can avoid discomfort in later ages. Once you train your body in a certain way, try to keep up with that routine to go a long way in ensuring a healthy-heart. After all, the heart takes everything and yet keeps us going strong!

Unplug From The World

Don’t be afraid to sometimes put your laptop screens to rest, your phones switched off, all your gadgets at bay, and just be. Spend quality time with your partner, talk, cook, trek, go on a drive, go for a long walk, whatever suits your schedule. The important thing is to make that time for each other.

Many reports have suggested that people who work out with their significant others are likely to reap long-term benefits.

Learn The New

More often than not, we have more than one difference of interest with our partners. Don’t get bogged down by it, instead consider it a platform to learn something new and strengthen your bond.

Join your partner in the pool and take swimming lessons from him, shake a leg and invite her to teach you a step or two at the dance floor,try ice skating, bowling, or golf, or go simply cook a meal from scratch and divide the responsibilities. The more you are willing to experiment, the more learning opportunities you can embrace.

Diy Home Improvement

Make your space a place that you would want to retire to after a tough day’s work, a place you look forward to go to. Bring together your creative energies and take up a small do-it-yourself project to beautify your room. It could involve hanging your pictures on a string of fairy lights, painting a wall, setting up a bookshelf or as simple as arranging your wardrobe together.

Let your room reflect your state of mind!

Shop Till You Drop

Keep aside a day for shopping, it could be shopping for grocery or shopping for formals for both of you. Make a day out of it. And don’t ever underestimate the amount of walking and lifting you do when you shop!

Little Nothings

It is important to keep encouraging and appreciating your partner. Be grateful for the little things they do for you. Leave them post-it notes, make travel plans, take them for a couple’s retreat/spa, go to an adventure park, or indulge in the old and good pillow fight.

It’s Not Just Hip-To-Toe, It’s Head-To-Toe Exercise

Not only your lower body, but your whole body gets indulged in pedaling the bike. From yourgastrocnemius andsoleus muscle in the calves, to hamstrings in the back of thighs, to gluteus muscles in the buttocks, to your abdominal muscles to balance and stay upright, to your arms and shoulder muscles to hold and direct, and last to your head to stay alert and active.

Slaps Out Ageing; Hello Beautiful Skin!

Cycling increases circulation through delivering oxygen and nutrients to skin cells more effectively, while ﬂushing harmful toxins out. It also creates an ideal environment within the body to optimize collagen production, helping reduce the appearance of wrinkles and speed up the healing process.

Sparkles The Grey Matter In Your Brain

Cycling helps build new brain cells in the hippocampus — the region responsible for memory, which deteriorates from the age of 30. It boosts blood ﬂow and oxygen to the brain, which regenerates the receptors.

Pedaling Is Spintastic For Your Heart

Studies have shown that regular cycling can cut your risk of heart disease by 50 percent. And according to the British Heart Foundation, around 10,000 fatal heart attacks could be avoided each year if people kept themselves ﬁtter. Cycling just 20 miles a week reduces your risk of heart disease to less than half and that too of those who take no exercise, it says.

Positive thinking has much more of an effect on your heart than you realise – and on your health. It isn’t about being naive but about hoping that the best will happen. How exactly does that affect your health? And how can you make yourself think positively?

Sometimes, the best way to motivate yourself is to motivate someone else. Especially if that someone else is your spouse. Instead of worrying your husband to stop working so hard, or telling your wife to eat more sensibly, turn it into something positive. Take each other outdoors – spend half an hour of quality time together, as often in a week as you can. Read more about some of our better-half exercise ideas.

The half marathon is not just a popular sport, it is actually the fastest growing race distance in running. In fact, the number of people who’ve raced 13.1 miles, which is the official distance of the half marathon, has nearly doubled in the past decade. While its health benefits are massive, and you don’t need us to tell you just how much good you’re doing your heart, here are a few points to help you start off right

The Japanese have a reputation of living long, healthy lives. Their hearts are healthier than those of most other races. Is it the sea air or the fish? As all secrets go, this one is called ‘harahachibu’. And it has to do with eating half of what you usually do.

You’ve probably seen your colleague sweating it out in a gym, or your neighbour cycling for hours every weekend. However, there is actually research to prove you don’t need to go on and on – on a treadmill, or a jogging track. Not hours – just half an hour. Half an hour of exercise a day will give you benefits like these

Yoga is the Sanskrit word for union, union of improved health and happiness. The practice of asana, pranayama, and meditation helps deal with stress, anger and negative emotions. One of the beauties of the physical practice of yoga is that there are poses suited for everyone. No matter how old or young, fitor frail you may be- the mat is for you! Yoga takes care of you, your heart and your overall being.
Here is how it helps your wellbeing:

Fights stress and depression

Yoga could benefit those living with depression and other psychiatric conditions. Practicing mindfulness through yoga and meditation also results in higher serotine levels (the happiness hormone), and long-term practitioners have shown more mass in the areas of the brain associated with contentment.”

Effective way to control your asthma

Breathing practice, known as pranayama, is an essential part of yoga, and such exercises have been shown to help ease the symptoms of asthma and other respiratory problems.

General Health Benefits

On a physical level, yoga helps improve flexibility, strength, balance, and endurance. On an energetic level, yoga teaches you how to cope better with stress. On a psychological level, yoga helps to cultivate awareness to the sensations, thoughts, and emotions.

Fights Heart diseases

Yoga helps treating heart patients by increasing their capacity for exercise thereby improved their heart health. Yoga plays a huge role in reducing your risk of heart disease. The cardiovascular benefits of yoga also help reduce arterial plaque.

Times are tough and many people are struggling to stay optimistic given the state of the economy and the insecurity of their jobs. This certainly puts strain on their relationships and health too. However it’s never too late to see that half glass is still full. And of course there are different conclusions that can be drawn, but being optimist is the best option to go ahead with. Instead of thinking half a year is up,look forward to the latter half approaching fast, full of festivities!
All you need to do is this:

Set your daily Goals &Intentions

Before you start your day, take one minute to set your goals for the day and think of a word- how you would like the day to be? What attitude or spirit you want to bring to the day? The intention you choose will determine how you deal with the challenges you are facing.

Work outside your comfort zone

There is no better way to build self-confidence than by doing something that stretches you beyond your limits. It teaches that you are capable of more than you thought.

Exercise

Not only is it great for you physically, it’s a very potent drug for making you feel better psychologically. As your heart starts pumping, your body releases endorphins into your system which not only burns off stress, but keeps your heart and life happy and beautiful.

Mark this mother’s day as a perfect time for taking stock of your mother’s health. Age 40 is a milestone when the risk of many health conditions increases. Mothers have a lot to take care of every day- demanding job, managing home, aging parents, growing children or all of the above; it’s easy to put health aside. However, it’s time to take care of her wellbeing, and to plan for the long-run.

Help her chart out a plan and follow these Simple steps for better health:

Eat breakfast daily

Eating breakfast is essential to keeping the weight down and calorie-burning metabolism up. The healthy-breakfast eaters have continued losing weight over time even though they ate more total calories, while the low-carb group started regaining weight after 4 months.

Kick start Metabolism

Strength-training for 6 months can increase your resting metabolism, so you’ll burn more calories even when you’re sitting on the sofa. Strength-training also helps you shore up bone, maintain balance, and avoid injury—important for protecting your skeleton both now and when you’re older. Aim to exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week.

Boost calcium and Vitamin D

Both are essential for strong bones, but many experts feel current benchmarks are too low. Women in their 40s get 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D every day from foods like fortified milk or salmon, along with supplements if needed.

Pump up her diet with protein

Getting foods with all the amino acids needed to form complete proteins at least twice a day boosts levels of mood-lifting neurotransmitters in the brain, which can help relieve symptoms of depression, like slow thinking and poor memory. Some of the sources are beans , eggs , nuts , cauliflower , broccoli , spinach.

Involve her in your adventures

Relaxing with family reduces stress, boosts self-esteem, and even makes you more loving toward your partner and kids. Women are terrific at connecting socially but often let it fall by the wayside in their 40s because of career and family demands.

A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything. It’s fun to share a good laugh. But did you know it can actually improve your health? It’s true: laughter is a strong medicine. As children, we used to laugh hundreds of times a day, but as adults life tends to be more stressful and busy. Nothing works faster to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh.The bestpart is, this priceless medicine is fun, free, and available anywhere, anytime.Laughter is good for your overall health.

Everyone gives you the impression that eating healthy is about denying yourself really tasty food. So you’re stuck with oats and porridge, and other Western ‘healthy’ options. We’ve decided to add some pep into your daily breakfast, while making sure it’s as heart-healthy as it can be. Packed with vegetables and millet, here’s a unique upma – made of jowar.

This myth has grown over the years, and so people have cut all sorts of fats out of their diet. However, some fats are absolutely essential for the skin, hair, digestion – and yes, even for the heart. How do you tell the difference?

Sitting is the new smoking, they say. A recommended 2-3 hours of sitting is all you’re prescribed, and anything over that is harmful. Surely, that’s a myth? How can you walk around most of your waking hours? Well, farmers, postmen, animal rescue workers, construction teams and a lot of other people seem to do it.

Do you know how healthy your heart is, and would you recognize symptoms of a heart attack in anyone else? Before deciding how strong your heart is, see how strong your understanding of your heart actually is.

We often underestimate what stress can do to our health and, how it plays major risk factor in worsening our heart health.

What can Stress do?

Studies link stress to changes in the way blood clots, which increases the risk of heart attack.High blood pressure and cholesterol levels, smoking, physical inactivity and overeating- are all affected by stress. And they then worsen heart conditions and are responsible for causing heart attack.

What should we do?

Here are a few tips to manage stress-

Breathe – If you realise you’re having a panic attack or anxiety, take deep breaths. Taking deep breaths will help you calm down, it’ll help your heartbeat normalize and help you think clearly. . Sit down somewhere and take deep breaths whenever you feel you’re too stressed and do not let stress overtake.

Write – When you’re too stressed or confused and don’t know what to do about it, write it down. Writing it will give you perspective and help you form coherent thoughts. Instead of being in a panic mess, you will be able to think clearly and then find solution to your problem. You can try making a table, wherein you write what is stressing you and the possible actions you could take to help it.

Meditate – the power of meditation goes without saying. Sit in a quiet and calm place, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Do not think about anything external but your breathing. You will feel yourself calming within minutes.

Stress will not be a big danger for you if you know how to cope with it. Our daily busy lives always give us something to worry about; we just need to know how to deal with all that stress and stay happy!

As our age increases, the health worsens. Our organs do not work perfectly and we need to take special care of our body. Here’s what you can do to provide that extra care to your heart and overall health:

Focus on preventions

It will be harmful for your body if you take many medicines, or start to cure your diseases when it’s too late. Instead, focus on preventing yourself from illnesses. Eat a healthy diet, exercise every day, measure your BP & sugar regularly, keep an eye on your weight, and get regular health and heart check-ups.

Socialize

Socializing, spending time with children and grandchildren makes the elderly happy and stress-free. This in turn is good for their heart health. Spend time with your family every day, whether over a cup of tea or dinner, family parties, or taking a walk together in the evening.

Sleep well

A well rested body is a healthy body. Stay away from caffeine and have a proper sleeping schedule. Also, take short naps during the day but don’t compromise on your long sleep.

Exercise

The 123-year-old Carmelo Flores Laura, potentially the oldest living person documented, says he owes his longevity to regular exercise. “I walk a lot, that’s all. I go out with the animals,” Flores told the Associated Press. So walk walk walk! Even if you don’t feel like doing heavy exercises, take walks!

Youth is the age when we are full of energy, goals and ideas. We want to do everything and achieve all our goals in life. However, in all this, our health, especially heart health often gets neglected. Here are a few tips to stay healthy while in your youth- the most important years of your life:

Stay active

Walking towards a classroom is not exercise! Binge watching shows are fun, but it is important to give your body the requisite activity. Take a walk in the morning or play a sport of your choice. For kids and teens, 60 minutes of activity per day is ideal, and it can be broken up into chunks throughout the day.

Maintain a healthy weight

Staying active and eating well are the cornerstones of a healthy weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is necessary to have a healthy heart. Being underweight or overweight can harm your heart health.

Get medical tests

As early as 20 years is the ideal age to get a heart check-up done, at least once a year. You might not know there’s something wrong in your body until it’s too late. In fact, you should get a full body check-up regularly.

Make healthier choices

It’s your time to enjoy, and of course you relish junk food. In youth, more so today, we prefer eating out over a home-cooked meal. However, try to limit your cravings and untimely eating habits. Also, have healthier substitutes like steamed wheat momos instead of fried, and dark chocolate shakes instead of cold drinks.

Start the March pledge to get outdoors with the simplest, easiest and healthiest exercises of them all. Devote a week to each. Or a day to each, and keep alternating. Start walking today and build it up to taking part in a marathon in 6 months. That’s your incentive, but of course, there are so many other incentives – here’s a quick look at what some easy outdoor activities will do for your body

You could save a life, maybe even your own, by simply recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack, which do not come with any notice, as you know. This video shows you what to look for when you suspect a heart attack, and why it is vitally important to recognize these symptoms and get medical aid.

Prevention is better than cure, we believe. And being well-informed is the first step of prevention. Heart disease is growing to be the leading fatality for women, and yet, most women aren’t aware of the risks, symptoms or what they can do to prevent it.

Now that you’re convinced you have to get out and get moving, here’s something you can print out and pin up on your fridge or your front door – just to make you feel good about yourself, your commitment, your new body and health.

You love the outdoors but not the runny nose and red eyes that come with it. It’s so difficult to stay away from pollen – it’s everywhere. Now, here’s the really nasty bit – pollen attacks are linked to heart attacks. We’ve got more information for you. About how you can put on your running shoes and get out, but keep yourself, and your heart, safe.

You know that pollen can cause emergency-room asthma problems, but here’s something to make you really sit up and take note. Research has found that pollen is linked with cardiac arrests, as well. During the hay fever season, the emergency room visits of patients with heart attacks rose by up to 16%. More study is required to find the actual reason, which could also be linked to the high levels of air pollution. However, the good news must follow – and here it is. You can actually prevent yourself from pollen by getting to know your allergy trigger well enough.

Work can be exhausting. It leaves no time for personal excursions and taking care of one’s health. But it is also dangerous to indulge in all work and no play. Billion Hearts Beating is here to suggest you a few doable activities to take care of your health without compromising on your work:

Group picnics

Organize weekend excursions with your office peers. Go out to a resort, have some time away from work and only for fun! It will rejuvenate you, and also help make your work environment a little brighter!

Walk Walk Walk

You have obviously heard about taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Along with that, take the long route from where you park your car or get down from any vehicle to your office building. Go get your coffee yourself and take short breaks during the day. Walk up and down near your cubicle. All these activities will help you work better and take care of your health at the same time.

Join a morning class

Join a morning dance/ yoga/ swimming class. This way, you don’t have to make time during the day, you wake up earlier and enjoy the sunlight and also stay fitter with all the above mentioned activities!

Drop your kids to school

Drop your kids to school- Dropping your kids to school in the morning has multi-fold benefits. It will give you an opportunity to spend some quality time with your kid, know about their school and friends, it will help you start your day on a positive note and also help you take a morning walk without it feeling like a burden!

Women are usually too busy taking care of work, family, kids and everyone around that they tend to find no time for themselves. However, you can use the little time you have judiciously and do something healthy for yourself. Here’s how:

Fresh Vegetables

Instead of stocking at weekends from the supermarket, go to the fresh vegetables market every other day and buy fruits and vegetables for your family. This will give you time to take a walk and you’ll be eating fresh food!

Sign Up for a Marathon

You might not find time to go out for a run regularly but when you make a commitment like that, you will have to make time! Go out and interact with other people, and walk for a cause!

Take up a hobby

A hobby, for example photography will help you find time to go out and enjoy yourself. It will give you the much needed fresh air and happy time by yourself!

Adopt a Pet!

Your pet will always give you an excuse to step out of the house, walk him around and walk yourself too!

The biggest obstruction between our will and good health is our laziness. We all want to have a fit body, live a healthy life but do not want to work towards it. But why worry when BHB is here to help you! You can beat laziness and walk on the path to a healthy life with these simple steps:

Evening walks

if you are too occupied in the morning, go out in the evening. Buy milk, vegetables and other food stuff for your house, walk your pet or play with your kids. Going out in the evening means not having to deal with sleepiness and still enjoy the wet grass in your neighbourhood park.

Show your kid the city

Take your kids out for picnics. Show them the different sites and monuments in your city. It will help them learn and help you take in some fresh air! Give yourself an excuse to go out with your kids and spend some quality time together.

Wake up an hour earlier

This small change in your routine can give you great benefits in your life. Morning Sun is the best for your body and mind. This time by yourself is like meditation and will help you relax. It will also help you live a sorted day and give you time to plan out your day’s activities. This is specially recommended for students and working professionals.

Balcony Garden

If you can’t go to the park every day, bring a garden in your balcony! Have some plants, water them every day, stand there for a while and take short walk right there in your home!

With the onset of summer, comes the time for salads, juices, and fresh fruits! To make your summer a healthy affair, Billion Hearts Beating has a list of foods and drinks you should indulge in, this hot season!

Honey-Lime-Iced Tea

Its cold, it’s sweet, it’s refreshing, it has honey instead of sugar and also lemon! It will refresh you, rejuvenate you and rehydrate your body when the Sun plays its game in hot summer!!

Watermelon cooler

Kids love watermelons, and mostly elders do too! So give this summer favourite a twist and serve your guests and family iced watermelon drink this summer!

Blueberries

Blueberries are great anti-oxidants; they ward off fatigue and refresh you! A great ingredient for snack or dessert!

Iced Coffee

Caffeine if taken in right quantity can help lower the risk of skin cancer. Summer cannot be summer without a delicious glass of Iced Coffee right in the morning.

Tomato Salad

Tomatoes can help you heal from sunburn, dehydration and tiredness.

Mint Soda with Cucumber

Have half portions of water and soda, add some mint and freshly cut cucumber and you have a refreshing welcome drink for your guests, and a fun drink for your tired kids!

Don’t use going to office or having kids as an excuse NOT to exercise, but build your fitness regimen around your regular day. Replace the lift ride with the stairs. Take the long way around to your desk, every time you get back. Build in exercises into time with kids. Give your chair or couch a break every time you’re on a phone call, and take it standing or even better, walking around.

Here’s an idea about how you can keep burning calories and strengthening your abs, while you’re commuting to work, supervising homework, or even in a meeting. Yogic breathing exercises and pelvic floor exercises, for example, can be worked into any time you have to spare – like waiting for a meeting or at the supermarket.

Health food doesn’t have to mean growing your own veggies and spending hours gardening and washing and cooking them. That’s great if you have the time. If you don’t – there are ways to just choose a healthier option, at EVERY single point when you’re tempted to guzzle down a sugary fizzy drink

Instead of starting some healthy fad, let’s look at our daily lives right now. We’re so soso busy! We don’t even have time to stop working and breathe normally. And that’s the problem right there. The first thing we need to do is take a break. Take many small breaks. All through the day…

Gift yourself a massage voucher this valentine.The good news is this: if you enjoy a massage, you just might be helping your heart and arteries stay healthy and youthful. Scientific studies have shown benefits of massage therapy for insomnia, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, cancer pain, post-operative recovery and other conditions. Regardless of age, massage therapy performed by a skilled and qualified therapist can reduce stress, cause relaxation and enhance feelings of well being. Here are a few points worth considering:

Maintains healthy blood pressure

Consistent massage program can decrease diastolic and systolic blood pressure. And maintaining a healthy blood pressure can contribute to lowering the odds of one having a heart attack.

Reduces stress

Learn to form healthy habits by replacing the bad ones. Substituting healthy habits for unhealthy ones rewards you with more stamina, better quality of life – and a healthier you.
That is easier said than done, of course, but some simple tips can help you tackle even the most indulgent and hardest-to-kick habits.When it comes to health, you can always use some help and motivation. A lot of people will do it for their children.

Break a big goal into smaller short-term goals

Break a big goal into smaller short-term goals. “Don’t go cold turkey,” “Suppose you’re drinking five beers a day, and you want to get down to six a month. Reduce to three a day. You’ll see the benefits and feel more motivated to move toward your longer-term goal.”

Tell someone you trust

Tell someone you trust – not someone who will sabotage you. Be accountable to someone all the time. It’s toughest forming a healthy habit if you don’t have support. For example, one spouse might be trying to stop smoking while the other one isn’t. “You have to find some inner strength, some self-motivation and push through it. Or get couples counseling, a safe setting where you can ask your spouse: ‘Can you be supportive and go outside to smoke?’ ”

Allow a “cheat” once in a while

Allow a “cheat” once in a while. “If you’ve avoided sweets all week and you’ve been exercising, and you go to Grandma’s, you can afford that ONE small piece of apple pie. Or let yourself have one ‘crazy meal’ a week.”

Break the TV habit in favor of exercise

Break the TV habit in favor of exercise. “Tell yourself, ‘that I would watch all the missed episodes on weekend as a reward to myself and do my exercise regularly on weekdays’
Oreven better, switch to a fitness program on TV and exercise in front of it.

Drinking tea is associated with decreased coronary artery progression and a lower incidence of major cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks..

Researchers studied available information on 6,212 adults to determine how tea drinking might be associated with coronary artery calcium progression, a marker for blood vessel disease, and heart attacks, angina (chest pain), cardiac arrest, stroke and death from other types of heart disease. They divided the participants into those who never drank tea, less than one-cup-a-day drinkers, one cup-a-day drinkers, two to three cups a day and four or more cups a day tea drinkers.

The study followed patients for an average 11.1 years for major cardiovascular events and more than five years to determine changes in coronary artery calcium scores.

The researchers found that adults who drank one and two to three cups of tea daily had more favorable coronary calcium scores than those who never drank tea.

They also noted a graded relationship between the amount of tea a person drank and a progressively lower incidence of major heart-related events starting with the one-cup-a-day tea drinkers, versus never tea drinkers.

This is a refreshing way to start a year. By promising yourself more time. We’re always rushed in this urban rollercoaster ride we call living, and we end up sleeping late and forgetting half the things we’re supposed to do the next day, and then apologising for our delays. Here are some ideas on adding time to our lives.

These are some suggestions on making time stretch to your command. The idea is to use your extra time to relax and unwind, and not to fill it up with any other hectic activity.

A good breakfast is like fuelling your car for the day. Tank up. Have a hearty breakfast on whole grains, fruits and low-fat proteins, and it will take you through most of the day on a high.

We’re sharing with you our breakfast chart, put together by expert nutritionists, to start you off on a healthy, heart-happy day. Shuffle it up, add your own favourites, as long as the major food groups are taken care of.

Start every day by giving yourself a de-stressing detox in 12 steps. 12 steps that have kept Indians fit for centuries now. Suryanamaskar helps in strengthening and toning muscles and joints, starts the heart ticking and circulation going, helps regulate menstrual and digestive issues and exercises every part of the body in a minute.

“A new year, a new you.”A common enough phrase that you hear every fresh year. But resolutions are made to be broken and almost none ever survive. And so, we ask you not to make any New Year’s resolutions this time. Instead, start off small.

Take a pencil and paper. Write down a list of things you need: a change of habit, a diet that will help, an exercise to get you in shape. Start implementing this in your daily life, don’t worry if you fail. Pick up where you left off and do it again. And slowly, you will see a change. That’s all we want, a healthier you.

Easy fitness exercise

Lazy Exercises to do in front of the TV

Breathe right to destress

Morning Fruit Juice: Testy and healthy

Quit now: Why stop smoking

In the midst of all the fun that comes with along the younger phase of life, their lies a sleek difference between healthy and unhealthy habits. Most of the times, the youth are inclined towards the items that are hazardous to health. Not only that, the lifestyle has turned out to be much more stressful than before and hence there are times when the younger blood of the country suffers from problems like – depression, anxiety. Most of time, our simple, little and negligible habits such as – not having breakfast or taking too much pressure at work,destroys our heath along with peace of mind. Result- Unhealthy you….
So how you can lead a healthy lifestyle? If this question carelessly haunts your rebellious nature, well then we have some ways for you:

Exercise

To remain healthy as a youth, maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise and good eating habits are crucial to your health and well-being. Youth should get 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Exercise can include aerobics, flexibility exercises and strength training. It is important to find an activity or multiple activities you enjoy. Consider sports, weight lifting, aerobics class, and swimming, walking or running. If 60 minutes seems like a lot of time to commit at one go, it’s okay to break up your exercise sessions throughout the day.

Healthy Eating

Good eating habits and a balanced diet are also important in maintaining a healthy weight. Eat a variety of foods, and remember that it is okay to have an occasional treat. Consider eliminating soda pop from your diet, eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, eating foods from all the different food groups, choosing healthy snacks, always eating breakfast and avoiding eating just because you are bored.

Bad Habits

Avoid bad habits — including tobacco, drug and alcohol use. These products can have long-term ill effects on your health. Tobacco not only smells bad and affects the people around you, but can lead to serious conditions including lung and heart disease.

Another concern for teenagers is the pressure to try alcohol. KidsHealth.org indicates that 80 percent of teenagers have given alcohol a try. Alcohol impairs your judgment, adds calories to your diet, increases anxiety andcan lead to liver problems. Also, too much consumption can affect your reasoning,behaviorandpersonalrelations.

Drugs are another temptation. Drugs can come in the form of inhalants, marijuana use or the abuse of prescription drugs. Drug abuse is dangerous for your mind and body, and overdosing on drugs can cause long-term health effects or even death. If you think you have a substance or alcohol abuse problem, talk to a trusted adult, parent or counselor.

Cigarette smoking has disastrous consequences: It damages just about every organ of the body and leads to the general deterioration of the smoker’s health. Cigarette smoking is deadlier on an annual basis than HIV/AIDS, motor vehicle crashes, drug abuse, alcoholism, suicide, and murder … combined.

Smoking and Respiratory Disease

Breathing in cigarette smoke is terribly harmful to the lungs. The damage starts with the first puff and continues until the smoker quits. About 9 out of 10 deaths from lung diseases are caused by smoking. A cigarette smoker’s risk of dying from a chronic obstructive lung disease like chronic bronchitis or emphysema is 10 times that of non-smokers.

Smoking and Cardiovascular Disease

Smoking also affects the heart and the circulatory system, and has been linked to coronary heart disease. Cigarette smokers are as much as four times more likely to be diagnosed with coronary heart disease than non-smokers, and are twice as likely to suffer strokes.

Smoking and Skin

Smoking prematurely ages the skin, causing facial wrinkles. It also slows the skin’s healing ability and has been linked to skin cancer.

Smoking and Eyes

Smoking has been linked to the development of cataracts, a condition in which the clear lens of the eye becomes cloudy. Cigarette smoking also can cause macular degeneration and do damage to the optic nerve.

Smoking and Oral Health

Smoking is estimated to be responsible for three of every four cases of periodontal disease in the United States. Toxins contained in cigarette smoke damage the gums, causing them to recede and putting the smoker at greater risk for tooth decay.

Assess Your Risk

Understanding what risk factors contribute to heart disease is the first step to beginning a heart-healthy lifestyle. Know which risk factors you can and can’t control and then make a plan for how to reduce your risk.
Risk factors you CAN’T change: age, gender, heredity and race/ethnicity.
Risk factors you CAN change: cholesterol, diet, exercise, smoking, weight, diabetes, blood pressure and stress.

Know Your Numbers

Since high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes are major heart disease risk factors that you have some control over, it’s important to know your numbers. Go to your doctor regularly to check your blood pressure, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL, triglycerides), and blood glucose. Work with your doctor to improve any numbers that are not normal.

Aim for a Healthy Weight

Don’t discount the impact that weight loss can have on your health. According to the National Institutes of Health, a healthy lifestyle can help lower heart disease risk by 82%. If you don’t know your ideal weight, ask your doctor.

Get Moving

Make a commitment to be more physically active. Every day, aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity such as taking a brisk walk, dancing, light weight lifting, house cleaning or gardening. Once you get in the habit, exercise becomes more than a healthy activity. It becomes a part of your life. In addition, exercise can help decrease your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Eat for Heart Health

The foods you eat have a huge impact on your health. When you improve your eating habits, you improve your overall health and reduce your risk for heart disease. Choose a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and cholesterol. Be sure to include whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Since it’s that time of the year – give your family a traditional Christmas goodie – the gingerbread men. Much healthier than sugary cookies or rich cakes, since ginger is a known anti-inflammatory, is good for the heart, and keeps colds, tummy pain and infections at bay.

Ending the year on a healthy note is the best way to begin it on one. There’s an old Zen saying that you cannot fill a cup that’s already full. So out with your bad habits! But of course, you’ve been trying to give them up for years. So let’s start with some you may not even have heard of, or may not believe are bad.

Winter is perfect for soups, but the tried and tested ones are oh, so boring, after a while. We’ve gone globe-trotting to bring you the most unusual and exotic soups that are the local flavour in whichever place they’re made in. They are heart-healthy soups so go ahead and try one out.

It’s tough to diet when all the good food’s pouring in this winter and you’re hitting so many parties where everything looks delicious. Cold weather also tempts you to cuddle up under a quilt with hot chocolate. Here, however, are some unusual ways of losing weight especially during this season. See just how easy it is.

There is no dearth of people who complain of dry, itchy and irritating skin in winters. The lack of heat and abundance of cloth layers on the skin make it dry, leaving no moisture. To have a healthy winter skin this season, follow these tips and see for yourself!

Moisturize

Even though we can’t feel the warmth during the winters, Sun’s rays are still very strong. THUS, always MOISTURIZE. Not moisturizing is a major reason for dry skin during winters. Just because it won’t be directly exposed to the sun doesn’t mean that our skin is not at risk.

Avoid hot water

Too much hot water while bathing can dry your skin, hence AVOID HOT WATER.- Its cold, everyone wants to have a relaxing hot bath that doesn’t make them cringe in the name of taking a bath! But keep in mind that too much hot water can make your skin dry, your hair rough and cause dandruff, burns and more.

Look for SPF

Protect your lips against dry air and strong sun by wearing a lip balm with SPF.- We often think that since we don’t roam around in winters as much as summers or don’t expose our skin or body to the sun, it’s safe. But we’re wrong. While going out always wear a sunscreen and lip balm with SPF.

Go natural

Use honey, coconut oil to moisturize your skin. These items do not contain any chemicals or supplements and hence you can be relaxed about using them. Plus, nothing works as well as nature and natural products do!

Winters are not only a hard time for skin and hair, but also health. Unlike summers, you cannot spend hours outside soaking the sun or playing with your kids. In fact, our diet and eating habits also change with the season. Hence, it is important to take some extra care. Especially, the senior citizens or elderly people need extra care and some activity in winters. Here are some tips the elderly should keep in mind before stepping out in the cold weather.

Walking aid

Not all people above 60 or 65 years of age require a walking aid generally. But roaming out in the cold weather can be a little difficult on your limbs, especially when you’re not in the prime of your age. So keep a walking aid handy while stepping out.

Wear socks and shoes

Even if you think it is not very cold where you live, dew drops in the morning and evening can make walking in parks or roads difficult. Wearing socks and shoes or boots will help you prevent from slipping as well as keep you warm.

Water and Snack

This one is not as particular for winters as it is important for elderly people generally. If you have even a slight inkling that your time of return is not fixed or that you might get late, always keep a bottle of water and light snack with you.

Keep any medication that you might need in the next 24 hours

Not everywhere, but in areas where it snows or is extremely cold, it also affects the traffic, road blocking et al, so while going out keep any medicines that you might need in the next 24 hours. It’s good to be cautious.

Know your routes. Don’t drive unless necessary. Use public transport

Before stepping out of the house, read the map or ask someone about the routes so you don’t have to drive unnecessarily. In fact, avoid private transport as much as you can. Use public transport wherever possible.

Every weekend, sit with your kid and come up with a timetable – not the boring study one – but what you and he decide will be in his snack and lunch boxes. That way, you can balance out his meals with his help. You say nuts – he can choose which ones. You say orange fruit or veggies – and he chooses which one. He can even help make it.
For Paneer Tortilla recipe Click Here

Childhood obesity is a huge problem and so much of it goes unnoticed – in fizzy drinks or chips packets. Make being healthy a game for your kids and they’ll be happy to play it. Keep a calorie chart on your fridge, for example and let them add up the calories they’re eating every day.

Making healthy food is tough on you when your child resists anything with green in it – unless, of course, she’s making it herself. Suddenly, the game changes. Whole wheat parathas in funny shapes, or oatmeal cookies, or colourful salads – if your child makes them – makes it fun, and makes her feel proud of herself.

The best thing you can do for your kid’s playtime is actually for yourself. Join them. Show them how you used to be the badminton school champ and let them thrash you easily. Or create a treasure hunt. Or go for a morning jog together. If a child sees a parent playing, or even being active, that’s a huge learning for the rest of their lives. Being adult is also about having fun, being active, being healthy.

It’s really easy to fall for that whole-wheat biscuit or the lemon squash, when the whole wheat or lemon is scattered from a distance, and the rest of it is lard and maida. However, since it’s mandatory now to mention the ingredients, here’s how to decode food labels and find out how much of the good stuff you’re really buying into.

Every child emulates the parent. So if you want your child to be physically and emotionally healthy, you must set some basic rules for yourself. Your child’s health is your responsibility. Make sure you don’t take this responsibility lightly!

Kids need at least one interest outside school. Having a hobby helps them relax and get away from the daily routine of school and studies, which is good for their mental health. It may be a good idea to encourage your child to try different activities, as it takes some experimentation to find out what they like and what they are good at.

Expose your child to a wide variety of experiences including music, plays, sports, museums, travel, reading, dance, games, food, puzzles and others. One never knows which exposure may influence future life choices of a child. Give your child time for free play, daydreaming and roaming around in the back yard. This helps them connect with nature and generate more curiosity towards what’s happening around.

When you exercise, take your little one along. If they show interest in a particular hobby, area of study, sport, or musical instrument, encourage and support them in any way your finances allow.

Other than physical activities, create a healthy environment for your child. If you smoke, eat fast food for dinner, don’t exercise, or don’t spend quality time with the family, chances are that your child will follow your footsteps. Get rid of food that is unhealthy for your child. This includes colas, chips, junk food, chocolates etc.

A lot of parents complain about the lack of time to spend with their kids. This affects both the child’s health and well-being as well as the bonding with parents. However, playing small indoor games with your kids can do the trick. You don’t need long hours for this, all you need is to be a child again and some energy! Here are a few ideas for quick and easy indoor games with your children:

Animal races

Animal races are fun, educating and easy to do. You can play even in your living room or verandah! Try out from races like- Hop like a bunny or frog, squat and waddle like a duck and the others.

Jumping jacks

jumping jacks is a simple competition you can hold between siblings to see who can make more jumps in one minute or who can do 25 jumps faster than the other etc. This kind of activity is also good for the heart.

Bubble wrap attack

everyone loves playing with bubble wrap! To make it more interesting for your kids, make them jump on it until it’s all popped! Very simple, and just another way to get them active and healthy!

Clean-up race

Make your kids help you in cleaning the house but do it in a way that they enjoy it too. Set a timer or put on a song and see who can clean the room the fastest!

Bubble bashing

Blow bubbles and let your child try to catch them. They’ll run around a little, laugh a little, have fun and all the activity will just help them getting healthy and happy!

For kids, you don’t need to make huge changes in your or the family’s diet. Just make little changes in daily food. What is important is to be careful about minute things and beware about how the small things can make big differences in your child’s well being and health. Here a few tips for you to help you take care of the little things in everyday life of your little ones!

Serve healthy

- Add beans to soup or offer as a side dish. Be creative with what you are offering to your child. If he doesn’t like salad, don’t make him eat the whole plate. Add vegetables to his favourite noodles when you serve him snack.

Eat good, but don’t restrict

Children and teens should NOT be placed on a weight reduction diet without the consultation of a health care provider. Yes, obesity in kids is dangerous but don’t make decisions only based on your observation. If you observe something wrong, talk to your kid’s paediatrician, tell him about the symptoms and seek professional advice.

Try a new grain

Experiment with brown rice, wild rice, barley, whole-wheat pasta,. Your kids will be excited to see new things to try, making them healthier, experimental in their choices and widening their taste buds. Also, this way they can have their favourite dishes without compromising on their health.

No salt?

Instead of removing salt from your diet, add and experiment with herbs and seasonings. If you remove salt, you’re compromising on taste which is not easy for most people. This is why people are unable to stick to healthy diets. Instead, if you replace it with alternate herbs and seasonings, you’re only altering the taste and unknowingly giving a delicious taste your dishes!

Method:
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
Chill for 15 minutes.
Garnish and serve.

Benefits:
The anti-inflammatory properties in bell pepper yogurt dip lower inflammation in arteries which help prevent heart disease and diabetes.
It also lowers the risk for developing high blood pressure, which is a key risk factor for the development of heart disease and stroke.

Benefits:
Low fat milk: Helps you intake less calories.
Cardamom powder: Packed with minerals like potassium, calcium and magnesium, which are good for your heart.
Nutmeg powder: Helps in Blood Pressure and Circulation.
Honey: Contains flavonoids, antioxidants which help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Grated apples: Help prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and inhibit inflammation.

The fun part of this rule is that you can indulge in your favourite treats, because let’s face it – a festive season without even tasting any of those temptations is no festive season at all. So here it is: Stick to a well-planned diet that meets your energy and nutrient requirements 80% of the time, and enjoy the fun stuff the remaining 20%.

You can’t help reaching out for a sweet, when you know this is the season of indulgence. So celebrate Good over Evil, by opting for some of the good, healthy ingredients. Use jaggery or honey instead of sugar, whole wheat grains instead of refined sooji or wheat, nuts and dried fruit to sweeten anything. You can make your regular ladoos or pedas, out of a dry-fruit-oats mix instead of all that sugar and boondi.

The festival season churns out the most mouth-watering sweets and snacks, and you can’t say No. So eat them and burn them off – here’s a guide on how you can go about your Diwali day, and lose while you eat.

The best way you can enjoy this festival season – is to enjoy it. Without guilt. You’re going to eat that extra ladoo, so you may as well laugh about it. Laughing away the guilt is a surprisingly fabulous way to keep fit, that the dietician forgot to tell you about.

Smoking is never good for anyone and there is never a right time, age or gender to smoke. When you are pregnant and you smoke, you are not only harming yourself but also the little life living inside you. You are not only responsible for yourself but also the one who is completely dependent on you. Here is how smoking affects you and your unborn child:

Asthma

Children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy are especially vulnerable to asthma and have more risk of sudden infant death syndrome.

Heart Defect At Birth

Babies whose mothers smoked in the first trimester of pregnancy are more likely to have a heart defect at birth.

Baby’s Growth

One pack a day during your pregnancy can take away about half a pound from your unborn child’s weight. Stunting a baby’s growth in the womb can have negative consequences that can last for a lifetime.

Relatively Low IQs

Children of pregnant smokers are much more likely to have learning disorders, behavioural problems and relatively low IQs.

Increases Your Baby’s Heart Rate

Smoking during pregnancy lowers the amount of oxygen available to you and your unborn baby. It increases your baby’s heart rate and other birth defects.

Respiratory Problems

It increases your chances of miscarriage and still birth and your baby’s risk of developing respiratory problems.

Reduce Fertility

IN FACT Smoking before pregnancy is dangerous too. It can reduce your chances of getting pregnant. Smoking is known to reduce fertility in both men and women.

There is no safe level or amount of smoking. Every cigarette you smoke transfers harmful chemicals to your kid while damaging your health. If you haven’t quit yet, do it now. Quitting at any time during pregnancy is likely to reduce the bad effects and risks you are putting your baby at. Remember, it’s not only about you; it’s about another life that is totally dependent on you. You cannot do this to him. You cannot do this to yourself.

Just because you have a cardiovascular situation doesn’t mean that you should avoid travelling altogether. However, it does affect your situation and there are some things that you need to take care of. Also consult your doctor for any specific things he might want you to take care of. Here are a few heart smart tips for you:

Well Equipped

The first and foremost step is to be well equipped for your vacation and business trip just as you would be at home. Make sure that you have your medicines, blood sugar checking machine and the likes.

Medical Facility

Make sure where you’re going, there is a medical facility at your destination. Know what your health insurance covers. Does it require taking your medical records with you? Do that, if required. Be well prepared.

Best to Travel- By Air or Train

Know what suits you best to travel- by air or train. High altitudes can make you more symptomatic if you have coronary heart disease. Because of the disease, your heart has to work harder if you already have blockage.

For Symptoms

Watch out for symptoms. Notice if you have shortness of breath or other symptoms that could indicate your shift from a stable to unstable position. It is better if you don’t travel alone. Travel with someone who can help you if you in times of need, and who knows about your disease and its proper medication.

Accommodation

Stay in an accommodation that’s easy to reach and is close to any amenities you might need. Talk to the hotel or guest house staff in advance about your condition.

To Consult Your Doctor

If you are going for a holiday, choose your vacation thoughtfully. Don’t go to hilly areas and don’t indulge in activities that are too vigorous unless you’re confident that you’re recovered and are fit enough for that level of activity. Even for this, you may want to consult your doctor.

No disease tells you to stop enjoying or living your life completely. However, if you are not careful, you may have to suffer the repercussions! Stay safe, stay healthy!

Everyone says laughter is the best medicine. You might have also heard a lot of times that stress is bad for your health, especially heart health. Here are 6 facts to prove why they are believed to be so:

Not all laughter or stress related after effects are direct. Sometimes, your lifestyle impacts your health and well being in an indirect way that you may not see, but can definitely experience in subtleties. This is the reason why sometimes, despite having a nutritional diet or active lifestyle, we tend to fall ill and are unable to recognize the reason. So say goodbye to stress, laugh more, enjoy your life, be thankful for each moment and take care of your health! Happy Living!

It is believed, and proven by research that sodium from salt can be harmful for your heart. But there are so many people out there with so many opinions and advices that one can get easily disappointed. How much sodium is good? Should you stop eating salt at all? Does eating salt mean you will get a heart attack?

Well, worry not. Here are some facts you need to know that will answer all your questions:

Why is excess sodium bad?

The kidneys have trouble keeping the excess sodium in the bloodstream. The body then holds water to dilute the sodium. This way, the amount of fluid and volume of blood increases which puts more pressure on the blood vessels. As a result, it can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke. High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease. It causes 2/3rds of all heart strokes and 50% of heart disease. In fact, higher intake of salt, sodium or salty foods is linked to an increase in stomach cancer as well. People who eat high sodium, low potassium diets have a high risk of dying of a heart attack or other related diseases.

Who is at high risk of developing salt related health problems?

Well, according to research people who have high or slightly elevated blood pressure, people who have diabetes, and generally everyone over the age of 50 is likely to be at risk.

What can we do?

A dietary change can help you lower your risk. Eat more fresh fruits and green vegetables, which are naturally high potassium and low in sodium. Eat less bread, cheese and processed meat or other processed foods.

So you don’t need to eradicate salt from your meals. Just be careful, have foods with potassium and remember that excess of everything is bad! Eat Wise, Live Healthy!

Sabudana is a good source of protein, which helps with muscle building, healing and strengthening. So vegetarians, turn to sabudana for your daily protein intake. Tapioca is rich in iron and calcium, which helps maintain bone health.

Walnuts contain a number of neuroprotective compounds, including vitamin E, folate, melatonin, omega-3 fats, and antioxidants. Research shows walnut consumption may support brain health, including increasing inferential reasoning in young adults.

High sugar levels raise blood pressure and cause the liver to release harmful fats into the body. The risk of suffering from heart disease rises in tandem with sugar intake. What increases sugar levels? How do we control sugar levels?

High blood pressure can severely damage your arteries and blood vessels. It makes artery walls thicker, and over time this increases blood pressure further, leading to a sudden heart attack. How do we maintain safe blood pressure levels?

When you’re stressed, the hormone cortisol is released into your bloodstream, increasing blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides. This narrows the arteries to the heart, and increases the risk of heart damage.

High levels of triglycerides, and LDL cholesterol reduce blood flow to the heart. In severe cases, these arteries can become blocked and cause serious heart damage. How do we lower bad LDL cholesterol levels through food?

Research shows that a vegetarian diet can have positive effects on your heart health and can reduce your risk of a heart disease. A vegetarian diet can reduce your risk of metabolic syndrome, which puts you at a greater risk for heart disease, diabetes and stroke.

Here are a few benefits of a vegetarian diet:

More Fibre

A vegetarian diet is rich in fibre from fruits, vegetables and grains. A high fibre diet improves cholesterol by lowering bad cholesterol (LDL), which in turn is good for your heart health.

Eliminates Fats

A vegetarian diet eliminates the fat you could have had from animal products. This helps you prevent consuming those extra calories. Fewer calories also meanslower risk of obesity. This will help you feel lighter and more active, making it good for your heart health.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fresh fruits and leafy green vegetables are rich in Vitamin C and other antioxidants that help protect against heart disease.

Cholesterol and Protein

The proteins that are provided by animal products are substituted by legumes and beans in a vegetarian diet. This makes a vegetarian diet very low in saturated fats and cholesterol and hence is good for your heart!

For a healthy vegetarian diet, have vegetables in each meal, get around nine servings of fruits & vegetables every day, and have more nutrient rich vegetables like the leafy green ones. Small changes in your diet can reap you big benefits! Have a healthy and happy heart!

Heart Disease is one of the leading causes of deaths in the country today. To see yourself lead a healthy life, it is important to know about and prevent heart disease. Here are a few things you must know about heart disease and what causes it:

Meaning

To state simply, Heart disease is an umbrella term for any kind of disease or disorder that affects the heart. It means the same as ‘cardiac disease’ but not ‘cardiovascular disease’. When one says ‘cardiovascular disease’, it refers to disorders of the heart as well as the blood vessels. On the other hand, ‘heart disease’ or ‘cardiac disease’ refers to just the heart.

Causes

Heart Disease is caused by an inflammatory process resulting from different factors. Cholesterol, nicotine (smoking) and glucose (Blood sugar) are some of the main factors.

Irritants like these can inflame the delicate lining of the arteries. In response to this inflammation, the arteries start to form plaque.

How does a heart attack occur?

Well, a heart attack occurs when this plaque becomes so inflamed that it ruptures. It breaks off and forms a clot that blocks the artery and hence, the blood flow to the heart is cut.

Sometimes the blockage leads to a fatal rhythm problem and death. If not, then the patient is rushed to the hospital and a drug is given to dissolve that clot, angioplasty to open up the artery, or surgery.

Prevention

As they say, prevention is always better than cure! It is true that heart disease can also occur to people who seem perfectly healthy, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t do anything to prevent it. Keep your heart healthy with these 5 simple tips: Eat Healthy, Be Active, Quit Smoking, Beat Stress, Get A Heart Check.

Whether you’re a homemaker or a working woman handling both work and home, you usually have to work round the clock leaving no time for yourself. It is also seen that when it comes to health, women tend to be more ignorant than men. Therefore, it is extremely important for you women to not only know what is good or bad for your heart health but also to follow a healthy lifestyle. Here are a few tips that can help you have a healthy heart-

Exercise

Each day, try to take out time for exercise or yoga. You can also take walks- at least 5000-10000 steps every day. A simple physical activity every day is enough to keep you fit.

Nutrients!

Your body needs essential nutrients to ward off disease. Having fruits, vegetables, milk every day, along with other healthy options in your diet is the best way to get that nutrition.

BMI

Calculate your Body-Mass Index. It is important to maintain a healthy BMI. If you tend to accumulate more weight in the middle body portion, increase protein in your diet and decrease carbohydrates. It will help.

Know your data!

Visit your doctor , to know about your heart health. Get your cholesterol level, blood pressure, body mass index, glucose levels checked and discuss about your current activity levels so your doctor can advise accordingly. If you have a family history, discuss that too.

Do what needs to be done, and prevent heart disease! Healthy living, ladies!

‘Heart Attack’ – the word itself is enough to alarm you and care for your health. Though a fatal disease, the prevention is quite simple. By following our SIMPLE 5 SOLUTIONS, you can lower your risk of a heart attack by many times.

Eat Healthy

A nutritious diet is the first and foremost step for not only a healthy heart but a healthy self. Food with excess fat, cholesterol, or unmeasured nutrients can lead to obesity, nutritional deficiencies or even blocked arteries!

Be Active

We eat food to get energy. Our body uses the nutrients from the food to create energy that helps us get through our work all day. Now if we don’t use this energy to its optimum level, or keep lazing around, the system gets messed up. Most of the work now-a-days requires lesser physical activity and has made us sedentary. When our body isn’t able to perform how it is supposed to, it invites diseases. Something seeming as small as lethargy or being overweight, can turn into fatal diseases. Not being active in fact is one of the main causes that can lead to a heart disease.

Quit Smoking

You know that smoking can cause cancer. But what you didn’t know is that nicotine from cigarettes and tobacco is one of the worst things for your heart too! If you want to live a healthy life, and have a healthy heart- Quit today. The longer you keep smoking, the worse your heart health becomes.

Beat Stress

In the hustle bustle of our busy lives, it is impossible to avoid stress. However, when this stress becomes too much, it can be very dangerous for your heart. It can lead to depression, high BP, binge eating, smoking, drinking and other factors which are harmful for your heart.

Get A Heart Check

No one knows it better than the doctor! It is possible that sometimes you are taking all the preventive measures you know and still fall ill. This is because how much ever do we try; we can’t know what’s going on inside our body. Hence, keep a tab on all of it by getting regular heart check ups. Talk to your doctor about the risks and measures you can take, to keep a check those risks.

If you’re suffering from heart disease, you would know that it’s not only important to cure your current disease but also to prevent it from occurring ever again. And for this, it is sobering, yet important, to realize that the condition of your blood vessels will steadily worsen unless you make changes in your daily habits.

Speak Up

Tell your doctor that you want to keep your heart disease from getting worse and would like help in achieving that goal. Ask questions about your chances of having a first heart attack or a repeat heart attack, your risk of other heart complications, and ways to lower those risks. If you haven’t done so already, ask for tests that will determine your personal risk factors.

Be Honest

When your doctor asks you questions, answer them as honestly and fully as you can. While certain topics may seem quite personal, discussing them openly can help your doctor work with you more effectively to manage your heart condition.

Keep it simple

If you don’t understand something your doctor says, ask for an explanation in plain language. Be especially sure you understand how to make the lifestyle changes your doctor recommends, as well as why and how to take each medication you’re given.

If you are watching your heart health, the following foods should not make it in your meal plan very often. In fact, if you can cut them out of your diet, your heart will be even healthier.

Processed meats

How much to eat: If not unavoidable, maximum of 2 servings per week shouldn’t harm.
One Serving size: 50-60gms
Why it harms the heart. It is highly likely that the high levels of salt and preservatives found in processed meats lead to heart problems.

Highly refined and processed grains and carbohydrates

How much to eat: Foods like these are difficult to completely cut from your diet. Hence, you should have only the smallest servings possible. Having one small serving each day won’t be harmful. Keep a check on the size of the serving though:
Serving size: 30 gms
Why it harms the heart. Refined or processed foods include white bread, white rice, low-fiber breakfast cereals, sweets. High levels of processing removes many of the healthy components in whole grains, such as dietary fiber, minerals, phytochemicals, and fatty acids.

Soft drinks and other sugary drinks

How much to eat: Preferably none
Why it harms the heart. Sugary drinks have all the same ill effects on the heart as highly refined and processed carbohydrates. In addition to the other harms of highly refined and processed carbohydrates, sugary drinks also increase your chances of weight gain.

It’s one of the oldest sayings in commerce, and it holds true for our hearts too. Do you know your resting heart beat? Do you have an irregular heart rhythm? Knowing this vital information will help you develop a plan to work towards a healthy heart.

And the solution is simple. In this era of technology it’s possible to have this information at our fingertips via wearable technology and apps on your mobile phone. Here are some of the best options.

What we eat makes us who we are and Indian food has a good health history. It’s rich in spices like turmeric and cinnamon and vegetable staples such as ginger, fenugreek and garlic, which are all known to improve heart health. Here are some great ways to incorporate healthy ingredients into your diet.

Everyone gets stressed. It’s a part of daily life. And the natural elixir is sleep. However, urban Indians are depriving themselves. Research has found that urban Indians now sleep an average of six and a half hours, which is well below the recommended eight to ten hours we need every night. Sleep matters. And here’s why.

30 minutes of exercise a day. That’s all it takes to lower cholesterol, blood pressure and your risk of heart disease. And it’s easier than you think. Plan it into your day. Make it a part of your routine. Read our tips on how.

Protection is always more difficult than destruction. This is true for your heart health too. Here are a few actions that are wrecking your heart health without you even realizing it. To have a healthy heart and a long healthy life, beware of these habits and fix them!

Sit, Sit and Keep Sitting

It’s so easy to be lazy, right? Travel in your car, sit at your desk all day, travel back, sit at your dining table, then your bed and the day ends! Easy, and very very harmful for your heart and body. Inactive people are twice more likely to develop heart diseases than active people.

How to Fix it?
When one says ‘active’ you might think we want you to go for a morning jog, an evening walk, do yoga, exercises, and all that you dread from. Well, getting ‘active’ takes a lot less than you think. It means getting up from the chair and walking around a little in your office, going for a walk either in the morning or in evening, taking the stairs every time you can, and not being lazy.

Don’t listen to your heart

Have you heard that little voice that rings in your head when you have too much pizza or French fries? That, and the heavy feeling next morning? The way you feel tired even though you didn’t do anything that day? Or how you can’t sit straight for long hours and experience discomfort in your back and shoulders? Well, all these are the voices from your heart. These are signs that you are wrecking your heart and are inviting heart disease. Ignoring these little symptoms will lead you to only one destination: Heart Disease.

How to Fix it?
This is pretty easy. Be Active, don’t be lazy or seated for long hours; eat healthy, avoid fried and junk food; don’t smoke, and last but not the least, listen to your heart!

We already know that a healthy diet and not smoking are important for a healthy heart. Also, controlling the traditional risk factors such as family history and high cholesterol, are all central to preventing heart disease. But there are some more simple ways you didn’t know can help decrease your chances of a heart attack:

Seek Treatment for Depression

Depression and stress often go hand in hand with heart disease. Since depression starts in the brain, it’s a dysfunction in the unconscious nervous system, which regulates blood pressure and heart rate.

Find a Hobby

Contrary to popular beliefs, hobbies aren’t just to pass the time or done for pleasure. Hobbies take your mind off depressive thoughts because you’re focusing on something positive. Plus, they tend to make people less sedentary.

Hit the Sleep Spot

The ideal nightly sleep time is seven to eight hours. People who sleep more than eight hours have a higher incidence of high blood pressure. People with lesser sleep are prone to anxieties and depressions.

Embrace Your Spirituality

People who practice meditation and spirituality are less prone to stress. Meditative and other spiritual practices can help you control negative thoughts and anxiety, and become calmer and happier. It has also shown to boost endorphins and lower the blood pressure, all of which contribute to a healthier heart.

If you watch what you eat, you’re doing everything you need to stay heart-healthy, right? Well, that’s only half of it. Even if you watch your diet and avoid high-fat, empty-calorie foods, you’re still at risk for heart disease if you don’t exercise. And then, exercise offers a host of other benefits. If you’re still wondering, this is why you should exercise:

Exercise lowers blood pressure

When your heart is stronger due to exercise, it takes less effort for it to pump blood throughout your body, which in turn means there’s not as much force on your arteries. And when the force on your arteries is lowered, your blood pressure is lower too.

Exercise improves circulation

For your body to operate at its full potential, your blood circulation needs to be good. Regular aerobic exercise can improve circulation and help prevent heart disease.

Exercise helps you lose weight

If you’re overweight and especially if a lot of the fat is around your middle, which doctors call having an “apple shape” — you’re at higher risk for heart disease and stroke. Exercise helps in burning calories.

Exercise helps you sleep better

As anyone who’s turned in after a full day of skiing or swimming can attest, as soon as you start exercising, your sleep habits improve too. Lack of sleep has been linked to high blood pressure, increased stress, and irregular heartbeat- all adding to the risk of heart disease. Exercising is extremely beneficial in providing quality sleep and thus also improving heart health.

Exercise helps reduce stress

Stress has been linked to high blood pressure, chest pain, and an irregular heartbeat, among other heart problems. Vigorous, sustained exercise releases “feel-good” hormones that can help you reduce stress which in turn lowers your risk of heart disease.

Exercise strengthens the heart muscle and helps keep weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure at healthy levels. It can also reduce arterial inflammation, decreasing the risk of heart-attack and slowing the progression of heart disease. Exercise advice differs depending on your goal. Pick the category below that seems right for you:

To get started

It doesn’t really matter what you do as long as you do something. The most popular option is walking. But if you find that boring, try biking or joining a gym.

To get back in shape

Even if your days of fast-paced tennis are but a memory, resuming exercise can restore your fitness. But to protect yourself, don’t go back to the routines of your youth. It is advisable to adjust your goals and expectations. Instead of aiming for a marathon, start by 300 m race.

To lose excess weight

You need to combine physical activity with dietary changes if you expect to lose weight. And you have to make it a regular part of your life, preferably at least an hour a day of brisk walking or its equivalent.

To kick it up a notch

People who are already physically active can get additional and more extensive health and fitness benefits by becoming even more active. One method to give your exercise routine a boost is interval training—adding spurts of higher intensity to exercises you’re already doing. Add variety to your workouts by joining a yoga or a dance class.

Worried about heart diseases? Just resort to these simple, fun cardiovascular exercises to unlock the solution for your heart problems. The cardiovascular exercises get your heart pumping, balance blood flow and also improves your air intake. Jogging, cycling, brisk walking or aerobics can be the starting point.

Aerobic

Aerobic exercises to curb heart diseases. Aerobic exercise improves heart and lung fitness and can impact many of the risk factors for heart disease

Walking

Walking is a low-impact exercise that’s safely accessible to adults of most fitness levels. Regular, brisk walking can lower your risk of heart attack. It can also lower your chances of developing other chronic health conditions.

Swimming

Swimming offers a great workout for your heart and lungs. It also trains your body to use oxygen more efficiently. This can help lower your resting heart rate and breathing rate.

Cycling

Stationary biking provides the same heart-health benefits as outdoor biking, while offering a safer environment for developing your skills.

Dancing

Dancing your way to heart health makes for a rhythmic and aerobic exercise routine. All you need is good footwear, some space, and music that motivates you. You can dance with others in a class such as Zumba or at home by yourself.

It’s only natural to enjoy a treat. And you should, too. But wouldn’t it be better if you could relish your treat having already burnt the calories. Here, we’ll help you find your path to guilt-free pleasure.

Those who play tennis regularly tend to lose excessive amount of body fat making them lean, strong and fit. It also keeps their lipid profile in check, never allowing cholesterol to cross the limit. This greatly decreases the chances of severe and fatal disease like myocardial infarction, commonly known as heart attack and other severe cardiovascular problems. This helps you lead an entertaining and stress free life.

Game for all

Playing tennis gets you moving, and moving is good for the body and the mind. One of the great things about tennis is that it’s a sport that can be played at nearly any age and at any skill level.

Improved aerobic health

Tennis improves aerobic health by increasing your oxygen in-take while playing, making your heart race better. It also aids in the development of numerous capillaries and capillary beds within the muscles so that your muscles can have a greater blood supply and flow.

Enhances flexibility, balance and coordination

Tennis requires the cooperation of the whole body. The feet maneuver you into the right position, the arms and hands position the racquet to make contact with the ball, and the torso and legs provide the power to send the ball flying over the net. All these factors come together every time you hit the ball, and each shot takes flexibility, coordination and balance. Flexibility is great because it can give you a wider range of motion, help prevent injuries and even reduce muscle strain

Heart healthy

Tennis great Bjorn Borg accurately characterized a tennis match as “a thousand little sprints.” The quick anaerobic movements the sport demands burns fat, increases your heart rate and promotes higher energy levels. A typical tennis match can last anywhere from one to two hours and at intervals that are optimal for improving cardiovascular health, which is essential for lowering your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

Also known as the “stress hormone,” cortisol increases in the blood as an individual feels either physical, emotional or mental stress. High levels of cortisol in the blood may cause certain chemical imbalances in the body and result in increased appetite, weight gain and for some, an increased risk of stroke or cardiovascular conditions caused by increase of fat deposits in the blood vessels. It’s possible to lower high cortisol levels in the blood naturally.

If you’re preparing food to pack for lunch, look for ways to adjust your recipes to cut back on bad cholesterol and saturated fats and replace ingredients with those that are naturally stress busting. This will keep your heart healthy and starve your stress of the food its loves.

What you eat all day doesn’t just impact your health and weight; it affects yourproductivity, too. Luckily, there are plenty of quick, easy, and inexpensive healthy snack options.

Almonds

Almonds are a great source of protein and healthy fat that is satisfying.

Low-fat Popcorn

This low-calorie snack will satisfy your craving for something salty and crunchy, and it’s also a good source of fiber.

Fresh Fruit

Fruits are packed with vitamins and minerals, and are full of great natural sweetness, They are also a great source of antioxidants needed for a stronger immune system and a better performance at work.

Dry Cereal

The brain draws nearly all its energy from glucose, which is the most important simple sugar in human metabolism. Consumption of low glycemic index foods like bran flakes will release glucose at a slow rate in the bloodstream, which will minimize blood sugar swings and optimize brainpower and mental focus.

Sprouts

Controlling hypertension is one of the most effective health benefits of sprouts and must be included in the high blood pressure diet chart. Most of the heart and blood pressure problems are due to excess intake of sodium. Eating sprouts will regulate blood pressure levels, as sprouts are free from sodium which helps our body to reduce high blood pressure, hypertension and other heart related problems.

Feel your heart beating faster, when you’re nervous or wrench a little, when you watch a sad movie? These feelings are common, but not all matters of the heart are about emotions or what you feel. Ensuring you have the best for your heart is not as difficult as it sounds! You can do so by adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle. You can adopt one of these to be heart – healthy.

A diet for the heart

A healthy lifestyle starts from a hearty diet; one with all the right nutrients! When deciding what to eat, remember to find food with more fiber and less salt, sugar and fats. You can go for Avocado , best source of fiber and low on sodium content.

Work up a sweat

It’s never too late to start your exercise regime – just 30 minutes of physical activities daily is all you need. For busy individuals, taking the stairs, doing household chores or walking to nearby places can also be a form of exercise!

Supplementing your heart’s health

If you’re looking for supplements that can support heart health, here are some you may wish to onsider.

Fish oil

Red yeast rice

Co-enzyme Q10

Green tea extracts

Plant sterols

Vitamin B complex with folic acid and fibre

If you are on any long-term medication for heart diseases, you should consult a pharmacist or doctor before you purchase any health supplement.

Vegetables

The great thing about quitting smoking is that you feel the difference immediately. Some benefits show up as quickly as within a few days of quitting. Here are some of the immediate benefits of quitting smoking.

Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things that most former smokers have ever done. Common fears and misconceptions about quitting smoking can make things even more difficult for potential quitters. Here are some myths and facts surrounding smoking.

While you’re trying to quit, always remember that there are little things that help you stay with your resolution to quit. One of these, is food. Here are some foods that help you stay away from cigarettes.

Why wait for tomorrow when you can quit today!!! If you really want to quit smoking, just replace the word TOMORROW with TODAY and LATER with NOW.

Here is how you should plan your quitting.

Set a date

Pick a day and time in the near future that you expect to be relatively stress-free so you can prepare to quit smoking. Consider why you want to stop smoking and jot the reasons down. You can refer to them once you quit when you get a craving

Identify your triggers

You’ll be most tempted to smoke during the same times you do now. Knowing your habits and what situations may set off a craving will help you plan ahead for distractions. It’s expected that you’ll experience nicotine cravings as your body begins to go through withdrawal. The good news is that cravings aren’t endless. They generally last for five minutes and no longer than 10.

Distract yourself

Keep celery stalks, carrot sticks, nuts, or gum handy to give your mouth something to do when cravings occur and talk to your doctor about cessation medications: If you’re not sure you can go cold turkey, don’t.

Reward yourself

With all the money you’ll save by not buying tobacco, you can buy new clothes, splurge on dinner, or start a new hobby.

Teenage is the time to have fun, but also to build the foundation of your health for a long
life. Here are a few things you need to understand in this age:

You control

While we’re busy blaming restaurants and take out joints for the junk that goes in us, we should understand that we have the power to control what we do and do not eat. So keep a check, have junk once in a while, but don’t close your eyes on what do you eat every day.

It’s never too late

Even if you've spent your childhood on a diet of cold drinks and chips, it's not too late to make a change to get your body in a better shape. It takes only two weeks to form a habit, so start now, start today and you will see the changes soon enough.

Sleep seven-and- a-half to eight hours a night

It’s the simplest. Have a sleep time of 7 to 8 hours. Not less, nor more. And while you’re preparing to sleep, keep away your smartphones or any electronic device. Wake up with a fresh body, a fresh mind to start a new healthy day!

Well, since summers are almost here, we thought of making summers a little easy for you with our quick tips!

Stay Hydrated

Skin cells contain mostly water, and if you’re dehydrated, skin can look and feel parched. Carry a water bottle with you all day, everywhere you go, and make sure you’re hydrated.

Celebrate Summer’s Bounty

For anyone who enjoys eating and cooking delicacies, summer is the perfect time! It is the best time to experiment with your ingredients for salads, juices and various dishes! So put on your chef’s cap and enter the kitchen!Try with some never had before ingredients, make some cool colourful dishes for your summer picnic and there you go!

Get Smoother Skin

with fresh fruits in town, make some salad for the body, and make some scrubs for the skin! After all, a healthy skin is a part of a healthy body!

Tomatoes

Eating somered in summers may help save your skin from turning red. It helps you keep hydrated and also protects your skin against sunburn and tan. So have some tomato juice while you’re at it!

Did you know that fiber-found in chapathis, brown rice, raw vegetables and grain, like ragi, millet and so on, has huge health benefits? They can actually lower your risk of heart disease and help you stay slim. According to nutrition experts, you need to eat at least 21-38 grams of fiber in a day. Here are some tips to ensure you get the right amount.

Fruits and vegetables are low in calories and full of nutrients. They are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. Include as much variety as you can and get the minimum five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. These will keep you healthy.
The more colourful your choices are, like orange, apple, brinjal, cherries and so on, the more antioxidants and nutrients they seem to have. Just add fruit or chopped vegetables to your breakfast or carry them to have as a snack later in the day to get your day’s worth.

Doctors are calling sugar a “white poison” nowadays. With no nutritional value, it just causes health problems such as obesity, diabetes, depression and even increase in suicidal behavior by young people. Here is what you can do to eliminate it from your diet.

20s is the time to enjoy life, 30s to work and earn and 40s is the age to pay attention to your health before it’s too late! Here are a few tips to help you take care of your body and health in your 40s!

Jump start your metabolism

Start strength training to give a quick start to your metabolism. Strength training for 6 months can increase your resting metabolism, so you’ll burn more calories even while you’re sitting.

Boost calcium and vitamin D

40s is also the age when you should pay attention to your bones. So have foods rich in calcium as well as Vitamin D. For this, have milk, broccoli, spinach, and onions.

Practice stress control

Stress can be linked to mood, back ache, head ache and even long term heart diseases. Stay active, happy and stress free! Take long walks, have time with your pets, talk to people around you like your neighbors or colleagues, and don’t let anything disrupt your mental peace.

Get essential checkups

During our 20s and 30s, we are so busy making something worthwhile of our lives that we tend to ignore our health. But we can’t afford this in our 40s. Get all round bosycheck up once a year. Also get your Blood pressure and Blood Glucose levels checked at least twice in a year, and more often if you have any health issues. It’s time to be healthy and stay healthy!

Most women tend to ignore their health owing to lack of knowledge about foods and activities that are good for their health. So today we’re solving that problem by bringing to you the list foods that are healthy for you!

Greek yogurt

Greek yogurt is believed to have twice the protein of the regular yogurt, and is also rich in bacteria which is good for your immunity and strength of body. So you know what to pick up from the diary products aisle the next time!

Beans

Beans are rich in fiber. One cooked cup of beans is equal to 17g fiber. In addition to this, it is also filled with proteins and key nutrients like calcium, potassium and magnesium. Beans are also linked with reduced risk of heart disease.

Avocado

The smooth and soft fruit is tasty and also has heart protective compounds such as soluble fiber vitamin E, folate and potassium.

Broccoli

Broccoli is known to combat all life endangering diseases such as heart disease, cancer and whatnot. Have steaming broccoli the next time you want to have a healthy snack!

Red peppers

Red Peppers are rich in vitamin C which may help you recover faster from illness and thus build your immunity back again!

Morning is the time when the kid is crying, the husband getting ready, the maid talking and mother in law calling. It is without doubt the busiest time in a woman’s day. To make it a little easier, we have some interesting tiffin ideas for your kid so at least he stops crying!

Chapati Rolls

Easy to make, these chapatti rolls are healthy as well. Slice capsicum, onion, tomato and paneer, mix it with mint chutney and a hint of tomato ketchup, spread it on a chapatti and roll it up!

Masala idly

With a few already cooked idlies, this healthy and delicious snack can be prepared in minutes. Roast the idly with sliced onions, tomatoes, pepper and chili flakes and your appealing Masala Idly is ready!

Mixed vegetable noodles

Noodles are every kid’s favorite, so why not use it to our advantage! If
your kid doesn’t want to have anything that says ‘healthy’, give him the 2 minute noodles by hiding the nutrients in it! Load your noodles with fresh vegetables and give him noodles with a twist!

Salad

Carrot Moong sprout salad, Black eyes pea salad or even a simple fresh fruit salad can give you and your family the much needed nutrients. And it doesn’t even take any time to cook!

More and more people are understanding the power of meditation and its ability to keep us calm and centered despite chaotic surroundings. And despite what most people believe, even a two-minute meditation can prove to be of great benefit. Here are some simple tips to get you started on a practice and keep your stress levels low.

Being stressed is the most common and most dangerous phenomenon we’re facing today. And ignoring stress levels can lead to everything from deadly diseases to paralysis and heart ailments. Try adding simple rituals to your life to ensure that you’re managing stress as best as you can. Here are some tips:

Women go through many changes in life. Becoming a teenager, pregnancies, menopause and all the ups and downs in between. These four must-do yoga poses, will ensure that you remain fit and flexible all your life. Make sure you incorporate them in your daily routine.

The Indian working woman is nothing less than a super woman. And while she is always busy taking care of everyone’s needs and wants, she usually neglects her own health. So today we have a list of health tips to keep all you superwomen super charged and active!

Store your house with healthy snacks

There are numerous opportunities for you to get tempted to eat junk. This can be when you’re heading to work in the morning with no time to prepare a heavy breakfast, when you return tired from work, or when your kids demand something and many more. So in order to ensure that you don’t keep stuffing yourself with junk and all things unhealthy, store your house with healthy snacks. Keep your fridge stocked with fresh fruits, nuts, healthy yogurts so that when you feel hungry, you have healthy options available! For more, check out our article.

Drink lots of water

It’s understandable when you are so busy in work, that you forget all sense of time and place. But don’t use that as an excuse to ignore your health. Keep yourself hydrated during the day. Keep a small water bottle by your table side and drink water at regular intervals during the day. Don’t forget, it’s the most important mineral!

Chart your progress

Have your own fitness report card so that at the end of a month you can evaluate how closer have you come to your fitness goal. In this report card, assess yourself on how many days of workout did you miss, what new exercises did you try and how many of those would you like to continue in the future.

Pay attention to how you sit

While you’re working on your laptop or PC, it is important to take notice of your posture. Have a straight back, and make sure that the screen is at or above your eye level otherwise it can lead to long term back and neck aches. Also, your screen should always be at an arm’s length from your eyes.

Those feelings called ‘cravings’ are one of the biggest reasons of eating unhealthy. Have you also experienced those times when you suddenly want to eat something ‘creamy’ or ‘crunchy’? Without doubt, these are the times when all our diet plans go out of the window and we munch on the first thing we see on the shelf, without thinking about its consequences on our health.
So today, we have healthy solutions for your sudden cravings that will not only please your tongue but also your heart!

Liquid

Often when hunger wakes us up in the middle of the night, because we’re lazy to cook something, we tend to bend towards liquids. A tempting hot cup of coffee, a can of soda or easy options like these spring to our mind. But the next time you want to grab that soda can from the refrigerator, stop for a moment and remember that sometimes healthy alternatives can be easy too! Instead, make a plain iced tea with a squeeze of lemon. Also, in place of the fancy mocha drink, select a small latte with nonfat milk!

Candies and juicy squishy stuff!

Sounds tempting, nah? But there are other options that can be equally juicy and a lot healthier! For example, freeze fresh grapes for a few minutes for all the juicy, squishiness and fun! Cherry tomatoes are a delicious option too!

Crunchy

Creamy

The next time you wish to have ice cream,(which has 137 calories in half a cup), warm a tablespoon peanut butter and drizzle it over low fat chilled yogurt!It will be an alternative that’s low fat, without cream, healthy and something new!

Cravings don’t make us unhealthy, our choices do! So the next time you have a specific craving, make a wise choice!

If you want to cook a special dessert for your spouse today, but don’t know how, well here we are! Check out our Valentine special heart skewers!

It’s the quickest, simplest dish that would take less than a few minutes and everyone served will love. Here’s what you’ll need.

How to prepare:

Firstly, chop fruits in small, identical pieces. You can choose from various fruits like pineapple, apple, etc. and also grapes, trawberries and berries. Now, layer them on small sticks using the same pattern for all the sticks. Dip the first fruit in fresh yogurt and sprinkle some crushed cashew nuts or almonds over it.

Plate and serve it with a fruit dip and you have the perfect Valentine dessert!

Valentine’s Day is a day everyone celebrates with their loved ones. It could be your spouse, parents, friends or all those you love. So this Valentine’s, why not make it a HEART loving day for you and all the people you love! Here are some ideas you could use to make this day special for your Valentine and their heart!

Cook a meal

If you’re both working and hardly manage a meal together in a day, this will be the perfect idea for your Valentine’s this year! Instead of going out to a public place where you’ll have to pay and leave as soon as you finish your fancy looking-full of calories and oil- meal, cook a meal yourself! Look for a healthy recipe on the internet and cook it for your spouse! This will not only help you ,two enjoy a healthy meal yourself, but also convey your love through the efforts you put into that dish!

Join a one day cooking class

Taking it one step further; make it a day full of fun! Join a couple cooking class (with your spouse, friend or mom!) and learn to make healthy dishes while you , two enjoy the time together, talk about that meal you had years ago, or your future plans!

Take a walk

Well if you’re one of those people who will work full day and are still wondering how to make this Valentine’s special with the little time you have, take a walk! Yes! Take your girlfriend for a walk after dinner or during the day, even if it’s only for 15 minutes. Sometimes, just being together and talking to each other is enough! And what better than doing all the talking out in the fresh air!

Healthy gifts

How about gifting your girlfriend a salsa dance class together? Or how about gifting your boyfriend those football shoes he’s been wanting for a long time! After all, sports keep him fit and young! Instead of chocolates and teddies, gift something they’ll really thank you for!

Spread love!

Who says Valentine’s Day is supposed to be only about your girlfriend or boyfriend? This Valentines, volunteer for the old age home near your house, visit that orphanage you often see on the way to your work. The heart is healthy when the heart is loved. Let’s spread some love around!

If you’re trying to lose some weight and get into that perfect shape, here are a few snack options for you that won’t need much cooking and will help you soothe those sudden pangs of hunger without the fear of eating unhealthy or gaining extra weight!

Roasted chickpeas

Salty but crunchy, and rich in protein and fiber instead of empty calories. Munch on them while watching reruns of your favorite show or reading! They will provide your body with the protein and fiber content that your packet of chips lacks! Oh, and they don’t make you fat either!

Smoothie

Banana, kale and almond milk smoothie can be a healthy as well as filling option. Have a glass full of nutrients instead of aaloo ka paratha with the fattening butter on top. Your heart will thank you! It won’t have the cholesterol of the butter, but will definitely be filling and rich in protein!

Salads and fruits

Cucumber, carrots, apples, oranges and other ready to eat healthy foods can come to your rescue when you’re tempted to bite that chocolate or open a packet of chips just because you don’t want to cook anything! Have a stock of easy to eat fruits and vegetables so that you don’t have an excuse to cheat on your health!

Fruit muffins

If you love baking and love eating muffins, make smart choices by choosing fruit muffins for times of hunger need! For every 5 chocolate chip muffins that you bake, add 2 fruit muffins. Start like this, and slowly you’ll be hooked to the deliciousness of nutrition!

The problem is not our hunger, but what we choose to eat when we are hungry! Choose well, live long!

If there’s just one thing you can do for your heart today, do this: sleep! A good night’s sleep affects your health more directly than you would think. The lack of it, can over a time, be fatal. Here are some tips to ensure you get a healthy, restful sleep every night.

Most people eat much more sodium (salt) than they need. This can lead to high blood pressure. Use the Nutrition Facts label to check the amount of sodium. Look for foods with 5% Daily Value (DV) or less.
A sodium content of 20% DV or more is high. Here are five ways to reduce the sodium intake.

Normal blood pressure is around 120/80 mm Hg and an ideal cholesterol level should be 200 mg/DL or lower. Keeping it at that level takes a little bit of care, and some attention to detail. Here are some things you can do to keep your cholesterol low, and your heart healthy.

Gifts related to health and physical fitness are not only helpful for people who love to exercise but also for those who hate it! Sometimes you can gift something to your loved ones that will inspire them to be fit.

A basketball or badminton kit

Lack of sports equipment is the best excuse that people give when they don’t want to exercise or play outside. So if you too have someone like that around you, give them exactly what they complain the lack of!

Gym bag

A gym bag can be a perfect gift both in case the person loves to spend time in the gym or if you want to encourage him to do so!

Box of surprise assorted Goodies

You can also gift a box with a rich assortment of health and wellness related products like healthy snacks, gym gift cards, exercise CDs etc.

Workout tee with a message

Get a Sports T-shirt for someone you love and customize it with a message that you want him to remember every time he exercises!

Subscription to a gym!

This is one of the best things you could do for someone if you want them to go to gym and get fit. Instead of telling them to do it, help them with it! Gift them a yearlong subscription to the gym so now they don’t have any excuse to run away!

Do you also find yourself breaking your New Year Resolution only after a week? The problem may lie with your resolution itself! Here are a few ways to make sure you make the right kind of resolution for your heart health and are able to keep it!

Set Specific goals

Know clearly what it is that you want to achieve this year. Instead of deciding that you want to lose weight, decide how much weight you want to lose. And focus on what you want to achieve. If you weighed 90 Kgs in December, think practically how much you would like to weigh end of this year. If you have a goal in mind to walk towards, the path will itself become clear.

Short term aims

To be able to overcome procrastination, set short term aims besides your one year long goal. If you want to keep a check on your junk-food intake, set a limit for each week. This will help you to monitor your progress and keep you motivated.

Know your body

Your resolutions need to be only and only about yourself. You don’t need to think of losing weight just because your cousin is trying to do it. It is important torecognize your unhealthy habits and only then can you start working to improve them. Observe your physical activity levels, eating habits, weight and height and then decide what would you like to change and how.

Inspireyourself

Stick posters around your room or magnets on your fridge doors, set reminders on your phone or mark on your calendars, download videos for aerobics or read stories of people who have overcome health adversities. Do whatever you think would motivate you the most, but do take some steps. Only thinking or writing down a resolution will take you nowhere.

Tell others

Tell others about your resolutions and ask about theirs. Help your friends and family so that you all can inspire and keep a check on each other!

In the hustle bustle of daily existence, we often tend to overlook the needs of our heart and do things that may damage our heart in the long run. Here are a few things that you might be doing too!

Watching TV

As easy as it may sound, research has proven that sitting for long hours can increase chances of heart attack and stroke, even if you exercise regularly. When we sit for hours on an end, the lack of movement in our body may affect blood levels of fats and sugars.

Snoring

Snoring for most of us is nothing but a minor annoyance. But seldom do we notice that it can be a sign of something more serious and dangerous: obstructive sleep apnea. It can be marked by breathing that is interrupted during sleep and can cause your blood pressure to rise alarmingly. If you have noticed this problem with yourself or your spouse, consult your doctor today.

Skipping medications

We often stop taking our medicines once we think we are ‘fine’ without even consulting our doctors. But it is important to know that our body undergoes more than it shows on the outside and if we skip medicines, it can be dangerous in the long run and then, the effects would be irreversible.

Ignoring physical symptoms

It is common for us to blame our lack of physical stamina on ‘being tired. We often ignore the symptoms that our body is trying to show us before it’s too late. If you were once able to run three flights up the stairs and now you just feel ‘tired’ to do so, it is time to notice the changes in your body and take care!
Our body doesn’t demand much from us, only that we observe and listen to it when it tries to show us any symptoms of being unhealthy.

One of the biggest problems we all face with our health is that while we all want to be fit and active, we don’t want to spend hours in the gym or do exercise! So for all of you out there who hate to exercise, there is good news! With a few small changes in your daily routine you can be fit without exercising!

Stop a stop earlier

If you’re among the majority of people who use public transport like metro, local train or bus to travel to and from work, get down one stop before your destination and walk home from there. It will hardly take a few minutes extra and you wouldn’t have to take out time from your schedule to jog or exercise.

Get ready with music

It doesn’t matter if you’re a 35 year old office goer or a homemaker, we all spend at least 15 minutes every morning in getting ready for the day. And if you don’t have any time during the day for aerobics or exercise, try listening to some peppy song while you get ready. It’ll help you start your day on an active note, make you cheery and help you dance around the house when you roam around finding the perfect tie or shoes!

Discover your old love

Growing up takes away from us the time and joy to indulge in our teenage hobbies, and that’s exactly what you should do to keep yourself and your heart healthy and active. What did you enjoy when you were a fifteen or sixteen year old? Skipping the rope? Skating? Swimming? Remind yourself the joy of doing those things again and you will see that it not only keeps your heart happy but also healthy! But do remember that our bodies change as we grow up and it is important to consult your doctor before you indulge in any heavy or harsh physical activity.

Look in the right direction

Do you look away from your computer every five minutes just to check your chats on your phone? Well, you’re doing it partly wrong! Look away from your laptop or computer screen but not into your phone. Close your eyes for a few minutes, rotate your neck, flex your arms a few times. A few simple desk exercises during the day will give you benefits without stealing time from your schedule.

Make a reason

Instead of making excuses, find reasons to go outdoors. Go grocery shopping or cycle around your colony, go visit your neighbors or just walk around in your lawn while you talk on the phone. Go out in the nature and de-stress yourself too!

Exercise doesn’t always need to be boring and dull. If you want to have fun, go ahead and do what it takes!

Research has proven that the human body is made for physical use and being sedentary has huge consequences for us. In fact, Sitting is the new Smoking! On an average, the urban human is sitting for more hours than he or she is sleeping! This could actually shorten our life spans. Here are small things you can do to ensure you stay away from the heart risks.

Cardiovascular-related incidents increase in winter for a number of reasons, including drops in temperature that constrict blood vessels, irregular workout routines, poor stress management and changing eating habits.

The combination of poor diet and other stressors can cause chunks of fatty deposits lining arteries to enter the bloodstream, potentially leading to greater risk of heart attacks.
Here are suggestions for keeping your heart healthy this winter:

In winter, you need to increase the amount of time you spend on warm up exercises. This is due to the reduced temperatures and the fact that the muscles are tighter in the winter, so injuries are more common. Here are a few warm up exercises you can choose from.

Does our personality affect the way we handle heart disease? Yes, says the following excerpt from Dr. Wayne Sotile’s book. It outlines the six basic coping patterns that seem to drive our perceptions, our behavioral choices, and our corresponding emotional reactions to both everyday life and to a chronic and progressive diagnosis like heart disease.

A plus here, a little minus there can make a huge difference in your child’s health. Here are 3 simple tips to make sure your kid has a healthy heart and a healthy body!

a. Increase fibre intake – Fibre is very important for a child’s hyperactive body. To increase its intake in your children’s diet, give them salads, whole wheat bread, beans in soups, fresh fruit and smoothies.

b. Decrease saturated fat intake – Make wise choices when you prepare food for your tiny one. Avoid cheese in food, even though he loves. If he likes snacks, stir fry or bake instead of deep frying, and make sure that his diet has a variety of minerals and nutrients.

c.Increase intake of healthy fats – Avocados, nuts, seeds etc can be a good source of healthy fat for the body. Cereal in the breakfast or a salad with your meal can also add to the purpose.

So, what are you going to increase/decrease from your little one’s diet today?

If your child is that shy kid in the neighborhood who hasn’t ever come home with a complaint about his friends, you need to become his friend and make sure he has enough fun! There are a lot of games and activities you can do with your children, to let them know that you care for their heart.

a. Chasing, hide and seek, hopscotch and skipping are a few simple games that you can play with your children, when you go for your evening walk or just have a few leisure minutes in the day.

b. Gift them a box of sports equipment such as balls, skipping ropes, tennis rackets, frisbees and roller skates for their birthday and other occasions to make them learn the importance of physical activity and health.

c. Talk with other parents locally and arrange games in a nearby park. Take it in turns to supervise the kids and let them enjoy each other’s company. Mingling with others and forming friendships keeps the heart stress free and happy. It also helps them develop the confidence they need in life, and to be able to work in teams.

d. Be a role model. Even small things like walking to the market instead of taking the car can have a big influence on your child. Let him know the importance of physical activity and how it can affect your body. But not by words, by your actions!

We all want to take the best care of our kids’ heart and body, but sometimes we overlook simple things in our daily life which can have a significant role to play in his health!

1. Healthy Breakfast

A healthy heart starts with a healthy breakfast – it is very important to make sure that your kid takes a nutritious and filling breakfast. Don’t let him skip the most important meal of the day!

2. Monitor BP and Sugar

When we go for BP or blood sugar level monitoring, we often forget that our kids need it too. If your child is 3 years old or more, he needs yearly blood pressure measurements. It’s easier to treat any disease if diagnosed at an early stage.

3. Reduce the salt

Keep the salt shaker off the table! Choose and prepare foods with less salt. Most children consume more sodium than their body requires and that can be harmful for them in the long run.

4. Use whole grains

Look for words like “100% whole” when buying wheat or whole grains. Make smart choices when you buy grains or grocery. Small changes in your kid’s food habit can have big effects on his/her health.

5. Get creative with food

Speak to them in their language! Make your child’s sandwich colourful, or give a different shape to the cutlets you make next time. Load different fruits in ice-cream sundae and put colourful vegetables in dishes to make it attractive. Twist your old home- recipes to suit their taste buds.

BHB organized a health check camp for the students of Savera NGO, at their Faridabad school in NCR.Children of the age group 3-12 years were screened at the camp conducted on 30 October, 2015.The check- up involved BMI measurement of the students and consultation by General Physician, who prescribed medicines where required.

BHB organised an Eye Check-up Camp for the community of Haathi Basti in New Delhi, on 28th October, 2015. The eye screening was conducted by an optometrist, who also advised further medical attention where required. BHB also provided the residents with eyeglasses, prescribed by the Optometrist.

BHB organized a health check camp for more than 100 students of NGO Aarohan, at their Malviya Nagar study Centre in New Delhi.Children of the age group 5-14 years were screened at the camp conducted on 27 October, 2015.The check- up involved BMI measurement of the students and consultation by General Physician, who prescribed medicines where required.

BHB organized a health check camp for around 200students of Samarpan NGO, at their Shastri Park open school in New Delhi. Children of the age group 5-13 years were screened at the camp conducted on 20 & 21 October 2015.The check- up involved BMI measurement of the students and consultation with General Physician, who prescribed medicines were required.

To continue increasing awareness on heart health, this World Heart Day BHB conducted both on ground and online activities. From health camps to special awareness building programmes for the youth and the elderly to workshops at corporates, here are some the activities conducted.

The festive season is all about sharing, being happy and making others happy too. We need your help to make this festive season special for a few special people. Through our Old Age Home Adoption and School Of Heart initiatives we provide support to children and elderly individuals from less privileged sections of society.

As a part of World heart day celebrations, BHB organized a Basic life Support and First aid Training for the employees of World Bank in New Delhi, on 28 & 29 September, 2015. The training was conducted by a certified trainer from Apollo Emergency Team. At the end of the training, each employee was provided with a certificate.

Like every year, BHB conducted a basic life support demo for 1300-1400 cadets at the DelhiNCC camp in Dwarka, on 28th September 2015. The demo was conducted by a certified trainer and a pledge taking ceremony was conducted where all the cadets pledged to take care of their hearts. Post the session, BHB also provided refreshments to all the cadets.

Exercises that are good for your heart health are nothing difficult. You just need to have the inclination to make an effort and give your heart the care it deserves! Here is a list of a few simple heart friendly exercises!

Brisk walking

You can’t avoid walking completely. So when you do have to walk, make it for your benefit! A brisk walk in the park, climbing up and down the stairs at your home a few times a day or simply to the market, can be of great help for your heart.

Circuit training

Circuit training is known to be one of the best exercises for your heart health. A 20-30 minute circuit training session can help you reduce weight and take care of your heart at the same time.

Stretching

Stretch a couple of times a week. This is not only good for your heart health but will also help you be more flexible.

Swimming

If you’re bored of working out in the gym, its time take your exercise outside! Go for a swim! It is good for your heart and will also bring your body in a perfect shape.

Yoga

It’s good for your heart, for your mind, and your whole body. Besides this, yoga is known to relax people. This is your way to de-stress. And above all, it’s very easy! Start with less frequent lessons-say twice a week and then when you’re comfortable, you can start with a daily practice.

Other than all these, weight training, aerobics/ water aerobics, dance and cycling can also be of great use for your heart health! These are easy to do exercises and can help you decrease our risk of heart diseases by huge margins!

To be able to take good care of your heart, it is important to take care of what you eat. Here is a list of food items good for your heart health:

Blueberries: Not only blueberries but strawberries and other berries also are good for heart health.

Citrus fruits: Fruits such as oranges, lemons are high in vitamin C and help in lowering risk of heart disease. Although, beware of packaged citrus juices that contain added sugar. Always go for fresh fruit juice instead.

Dark chocolates: Chocolates can save your heart! Daily chocolate consumption could reduce risk of nonfatal heart attacks and stroke in people at high risk of these problems.

Nuts: Nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, peanuts and macadamia nuts are good for your heart. They are good sources of vitamin E which helps lower bad cholesterol. Walnuts are high in omega 3 fatty acids too.

Oatmeal: Oatmeal is like easy-health. It is soluble fibre, helps to lower cholesterol and is good for overall heart health. Other whole grains like bread, pasta and grits are also good for heart as long as they still contain entire grain.

Soy Milk and Soy-Tofu: Soy-tofu and soy milk are a good way to add protein to your diet without any unhealthy fats and cholesterol. Compared with milk or other proteins, soy protein can actually decrease LDL or bad cholesterol and help you improve your heart health!

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are high in heart healthy potassium and therefore good for your heart. They are also a good source of antioxidant lycopene.

Yogurt: Yogurt can be helpful in protecting against gum disease. If left unchecked, gum disease.

Be careful about what you eat, your heart health is in your hands! Love your heart!

Deciding to quit smoking is simple; the difficult part begins when you start working on your decision. And hello there, you’re not alone. We understand what you feel. Here are a few challenges that you might face while trying to quit smoking, with their solutions!

1. Peer pressure – It’s the time when you’ve only begun your I-won’t-smoke-at-all month that every friend you meet, everywhere you go, you will only notice cigarette in everyone’s hands. And your ‘smoking buddies’ will of course help you by advising ‘just one drag’ which does everything but ‘help’ you. You don’t need to avoid all your friends just because they smoke, you just need to learn to handle the pressure, and make the right decision for yourself.

2. Cravings – Have you heard that when you try to not think about something, it’s the first thing that’ll come to your head. It’s going to be the same when you’re trying to quit smoking. Don’t try too hard. Instead, try to chew a chewing gum after dinner or simply have a glass or water when you crave for that one last cigarette.

3. Old packets in the house- it’s the foremost advice usually given to people trying to avoid smoking is, remove all the old packets from your vicinity. Not the ultimate solution, but still, away from sight, away from mind!

4. Nothing to do- Well, an idle mind is a devil’s workshop! It’s always said that if you had a routine of smoking a cigarette while on your way to say, bus stand, don’t vow to not smoke a cigarette while you walk, instead do something else. Make a phone call to a friend, read a book, listen to songs. Don’t sit too idle, at least not when you’re only in the first stage, or you know the devil’s around!

5. Beat stress- Many smokers believe it helps them cope with the stress. This is a cruel illusion; while one may feel an initial sense of calm when he/she smokes, the body is actually under a great deal of increased stress. On the other hand it leads to ineffective coping, as the causes of the initial feelings of stress are still present. Rather do try exercise, yoga, deep breathing to curb your stress level.

Nobody said it was going to be easy, but yes it is definitely going to be worth all the efforts. After all, what better award do you need than to be able to become healthy, save your life and live longer? Give your heart the care it deserves. #LoveYourHeart

1. Eat healthy- We’ve been hearing this from school- eating a balanced diet is good for our heart, mind, and whole body. You might think you don’t have enough time to cook 3 meals a day or keep a check every time you eat something, but that’s the least you could do for your heart. Avoid full-fat junk, eat homemade food & salads and control alcohol!

2. Get active- This is the easiest, yet best for your heart health. Even if you can’t control on eating, don’t just sit there being a couch potato. Get active- walk, dance and engage in all kinds of physical activities that you can. This will not only help your heart but also help you be stress free.

3. Maintain a healthy weight- We often hear that being overweight can be dangerous but it’s important to know that being underweight can be equally dangerous. Keep a check on what you eat and control if you think you need to, but not too much! Eat a well balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight, and that’s how you can #HelpYourHeart.

4. Control cholesterol – It’ll be difficult for you to cross a road if cars keep coming in between. Same goes for your heart! Don’t make it difficult for your heart to work. Control cholesterol levels and help your heart stay active for longer time spans!

5. Monitor blood pressure- Monitor your levels of blood pressure from time to time. Go for regular health check- ups and make sure your blood pressure is in healthy limits. We often don’t realize but small mistakes can have big repercussions. Prevention is better than cure!

6. Avoid stress- We know it is not exactly in your hands to curtail your busy daily schedule, but what you can do is reduce the stress posed by it. Organize your time table, be punctual, get active and of course, laugh till your stomach hurts!

Your heart beats for you and only you. Listen to what it says! Love your heart!!

Well it’s simple and doesn’t require much of an effort to take care of your heart. Here’s why that walk in the garden is the best help for your heart!

1. Strengthens your heart – If you can take good care of your heart with a simple walk in the park or your back garden, isn’t it better than sweating those hours in the gym? Regular walking can help you keep LDL cholesterol in check while increasing levels of HDL cholesterol and keeping your heart strong!

2. Keeps weight in check- Regular walking, preferably brisk walking; around the house or in your lawn or colony park, to the train station or walking up the stairs instead of elevator, is the best way to keep your weight in check.

3. Lowers disease risk- regular walking has shown to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. In addition to that, a walking habit can also reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, asthma and some cancers as well.

4. Improves circulation- Walking brings up the heart rate, keeps your heart in activity, lowers blood pressure and helps to ward off heart disease. There, simple. If your heart is active, it will be healthier.

5. Gives energy If you have to think of an excuse, you can say that walking will consume energy but even that’s not true. On the contrary it releases stress. Walking helps you relax, meditate and focus, and gives you a chance to rejuvenate all your energy.

Nature has always been motherly to us. You just have to take that walk appreciate nature and introspect. Take care of your heart; take care of your health! #LoveYourHeart

Having a healthy heart is possible only if other parts of your body such as blood vessels, respiratory organs, digestive system and the central nervous system are healthy. Some of the best foods to ensure good heart health are green vegetables and foods that are naturally enriched in omega 3 fatty acids and Vitamin C complex.

Try to include the following foods in your diet to promote heart health:

Olive oil is an essential ingredient in our diet as it lowers the risk of heart diseases. It is essential, however, to know the appropriate use of the different types of olive oil in our day to day cooking to get maximum health benefits out of it.

Extra Virgin olive oil is the purest form olive oil which is bright yellow or green in colour and is rich in aroma and flavour. International regulatory authorities have set the maximum level of acidity in extra virgin oil at 1 percent. To get the most of good health and flavour, this category of olive oil may be used uncooked in salad dressing, or simply as a garnish on bread.

Virgin olive oil has an acidity level of up to 3.3% and has a milder flavour and aroma when compared to extra virgin olive oil. This olive oil is also best used uncooked. You may use it to enhance the flavour of sauces and dips or as a topping on pasta and veggies.

Pure Olive oil is similar to virgin olive oil in terms of its acidity level, however, it is less expensive than virgin olive oil due to its low nutrient content. This type of olive is best for deep frying and high – heat recipes.

We all love strawberries for their sweet juiciness and sheer pleasure. Most of us are not aware of the health offerings of strawberries. Here are some ways in which they promote good health:

• Strawberries consist of manganese which is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. It helps fight free radicals and oxidative stress. It lessens cellular inflammation and reduces the risk of heart diseases.

Food and nutrition have always faced the challenges of myths and misconceptions. Here are some of the myths with information about what is true.

Myth: Saturated fats are better than trans fats.

Fact: Both trans fats and saturated fats are not healthy. They may increase the cholesterol levels in the blood, increasing the risk for heart disease and stroke. Eating fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy products, lean meat and poultry without skin, and fish twice a week can limit trans and saturated fats in your diet.

Myth: On the food label it says “0 grams trans Fat.” That product must have no trans fat in it.

Fact: If “partially hydrogenated oil” is listed on the ingredient list, it means the product actually contains trans fat. Companies can list 0 grams trans fat on the food label or claim “No trans fat” if the product contains less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. The amount of trans fats you eat can quickly add up and exceed the recommended limits if you consume more than one serving of that product.

Myth: Foods that are labelled as “trans fat-free” are healthy.

Fact: Foods that are labeled “trans fat-free” may not necessary be healthy because they may be high in saturated fat. Saturated fat can increase your bad cholesterol levels (LDL) and increase your risk of heart disease.

Fact: Blood cholesterol levels are affected by different factors. Even if a product has no cholesterol in it, if it has saturated or trans fats, it can still increase your bad LDL cholesterol levels in the blood.

Myth: Margarine is better than butter because it can lower my cholesterol levels.

Fact: Both margarine and butter are high in fat. Regular margarine may have trans fats in it, which can increase your bad LDL cholesterol and reduce your good HDL cholesterol. Butter has saturated fats in it, which can increase your bad LDL cholesterol. They can both raise your cholesterol levels and increase your risk for heart disease. In general, most vegetable oils are more preferred because they are generally lower in saturated fats and trans fats than the solid spreads.

Myth: People who are thin do not have to worry about high cholesterol and heart disease.

Fact: Although people who are overweight or obese tend to have higher risks, any type of body can have high cholesterol and heart disease.

Myth: Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthier than frozen fruits and vegetables.

Fact: Studies have shown frozen fruits and vegetables are as nutritious as fresh fruits and vegetables. However, fresh fruits and vegetables are healthier than canned because they tend to be higher in sodium and may increase the risk for hypertension.

Avocados are loaded with monounsaturated fats, also known as “good fats” that can help minimize blood cholesterol and blood clots. But they are also high in calories (240 per average-sized avocado), so go easy.

Grapefruit contains a lot of vitamin C which, according to research, can help protect against stroke and helps reduce cholesterol.

Orangesand other citrus fruits: Citrus fruit contains hesperidin, a plant chemical that improves blood flow to the heart, and vitamin C, a potent protector against stroke.

Apples: Do not peel an apple. The peel contains antioxidants, notably polyphenols, which help control LDL (bad cholesterol).

Raisins are packed with potassium, which helps lower hypertension and increases immune-boosting antioxidants.

Berries are excellent sources of vitamin C, carotenes, carotenoids, zinc, potassium, iron, calcium and magnesium; they’re high in fiber and low in sugar.

Vegetables

Yams: A great source of Vitamin C, calcium, and iron, which help reduce high blood pressure.

Caulifloweris high in antioxidants, fiber, and contains allicin, a component of garlic shown to help lower the risk of heart attacks and reduce cholesterol.

Brussel Sprouts: Help in reducing inflammation in the cardiovascular system and improving blood vessel health.

Broccoli: This green vegetable is low in cholesterol, high in fiber, and contains a wealth of antioxidants.

Edible Oils

Olive Oil: Make sure it’s extra virgin. The purer olive oil contains higher levels of “good fat” and antioxidants to help unclog your arteries and is considerably healthier for your heart than vegetable oil and its cholesterol-inducing “bad” fats.

Avocado Oil has been touted as a more heart-healthy cooking oil because of its ability to modify fatty acids in tissues around the heart.

Beverages

Coffee: Studies have shown that coffee is high in antioxidants and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes indirectly lowering your risk of heart disease.

Green Tea lowers hypertension and reduces blood clotting.

Soy Milk has been shown to help reduce cholesterol. Unlike animal milk, this beverage contains no cholesterol and is naturally low in fat.

Meat

Liver contains fats that are good for the heart.

Sardines contain fish oil which are known to increase HDL (Good Cholesterol) levels.

Salmon are packedwith omega-3 fatty acids that improve the metabolic markers for heart disease. It also has rich levels of selenium, an antioxidant that studies have shown boosts cardiovascular protection.

Nuts

Almonds: Rich in omega 3 fatty acids and help in cholesterol reduction.

Walnuts: Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, vitamin E, and folate, all of which are heart healthy.

At the outset, the bottom line is – Yoga is the mantra behind good health. A positive approach that leads to a positive outlook in life. Therefore, Yoga becomes an essential part of one’s existence and one should adopt this practice for a heart healthy life.

Going down the memory lane, Yoga is a form of exercise that originated in ancient India. It emphasizes on strength, versatility and breathing, which enhances physical and intellectual health and helps in stress management. Here are the basic benefits of this wonderful workout that enunciate how Yoga is good for your heart health:

1. Just beat It: Yoga helps to manage stress and assists you to face the daily challenges, anxiety and frustration with elan. It also boosts the strength, energy and immunity.

2. The more you do it, the more you feel it: Yoga promotes physical activity. There is a great connection between yoga and heart health. Not only is it good for your muscles, it also plays a significant role in controlling the blood sugar. It’s been said, the more effort you put into yoga, the more you gain.

3. You’ll learn to breathe: Deep-breathing exercises taught in yoga helps to slow down the breathing rate which gradually lowers the blood pressure as well. It calms the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the stress hormones. Hence, the breathing mechanism of Yoga provides you a stress-free way of living.

4. Helps to maintain good body posture: Continuous practice of Yoga results in improved body postures; it enhances the sensation of balance, with head, shoulder and pelvis in the correct alignment of the body. The correct body posture can make you tall, slim, composed and relaxed.

5. Encourages the sense of community: Participating in yoga classes can develop a positive influence of being in a group. A sense of group may help ease the feelings of isolation after facing a severe cardiac event. Yoga techniques also enable to beat stress and overcome depression, which contributes to a healthy heart.

Yoga is an expressive way to take care of your heart and repetitively promotes a heart-healthy lifestyle. It plays a remarkable role in improving heart health and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Along with increasing life span and other health benefits, it keeps you away from heart attacks, coronary heart diseases and hypertension.

Red has the power to prevent heart diseases: Not only do red foods prevents heart disease, but also stop cancer from spreading. Red and bright pink color fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals, such as lycopene and anthocyanins, which are potent antioxidants. They both control high blood pressure and protect against diabetes.
Red Foods: Red Onion, Tomato, Watermelon, Cranberries, Strawberries, Raspberries and Beets.

Go for Greens- The Dark Green fruits and vegetables lead to heart healthy lifestyles. The antioxidants present in green leafy vegetables are an excellent source of carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which help filter high energy light and help to maintain healthy vision. The Greens are a proficient source of Vitamin B; Green healthy recipes keep your bones strong as they are rich in calcium and help in lowering the cholesterol thereby prevent heart diseases.
Green foods: Spinach, Lettuce, collard greens, broccoli, cabbage, turnips, green peas, Green Apple, Lime, Mustard, Kale, and Kiwi.

Stress is one of the major causes of heart diseases. Everyone finds themselves in stressful situations at home or at work. Here are some easy, stress-busting methods to bring back the happy state of being:

Listen to soothing music

Call a friend! Keep it short and snappy if you’re at work.

Make plans – Plan a get together with friends.

Exercise! It releases endorphins and makes you feel happy

Take a walk

Staying stressed out is no good. Follow these simple methods and stay happy.

Sipping cold water through a straw can help replace the act of sucking on a cigarette. It also releases dopamine, a feel-good brain chemical that can help ease bad moods.

Eating small meals can also help you get past the urge to smoke. Choose lean, healthy foods to avoid weight gain.

Note Instant Rewards

You don’t have to wait long to begin enjoying the benefits of a smoke-free life. Keep a written list of the good things as you begin to notice them. They might include feeling in control, saving money, smelling better, tasting food more vividly, and feeling more energetic. When the urge to smoke strikes, look at your list as a reminder of what you’ve gained from quitting.

Avoid Alcohol

Drinking it is one of the most common things that makes people go back to smoking. Here’s why. Alcohol breaks down self-restraint, and that can erode your commitment to quitting. Many people also associate the act of drinking with smoking, so it may trigger you to light up.

Be Active Every Day

Exercise offers a powerful distraction from cravings. When your body is active, it sends out natural chemicals that help your mood and ease your stress. Walking is one of the easiest exercises for most people. Choosing a few different activities might help you stay motivated, though. Set aside time to be physically active every day — especially in the first month after you’ve quit smoking.

Fill Your Calendar

During the first few weeks after you kick the habit, fill your days with things you want or need to do. Make plans to eat meals with family or friends, and try to steer clear of smoking temptations. The busier you are, the more distracted you’ll be from the urge to smoke.

Secure a Lifeline

Ask someone to be there for you when you need support. The best choice is a friend who is also a former smoker. But anyone who cares for you and wants you to quit smoking can help when times get tough.

Milk doesn’t just do your body good; it may also help you quit smoking. According to a study from Duke University, smokers reported that drinking milk worsened the taste of cigarettes, making them less likely to want to light up. On the other hand, the study found that alcohol and coffee enhanced the taste of cigarettes.

2. Hit the gym

Exercise is a proven crave-crusher. Simply walking every day engages your brain’s emotion centers, releasing mood-brightening compounds that dial down tobacco urges. Strength training likely helps the same way — by reducing stress and anxiety when you really want to smoke, and by relieving the uncomfortable effects of nicotine withdrawal. All it takes is two muscle-building sessions a week.

3. Chew on this

Lots of ex-smokers talk about how they miss the ritual of puffing on a cigarette when they quit. Chewing on cinnamon sticks – or flavored toothpicks – can help with the psychological aspects of withdrawal by keeping both your mouth and your hands busy. Plus, it freshens your breath. You can also place a cinnamon stick in your mouth, inhale and exhale until your craving is gone.

4. You are getting sleepy…

Results vary, but some researchers say hypnosis can help — in fact, some studies report a success rate of up to 66%. The key for hypnosis to work? You have to want to quit. Hypnosis helps you achieve a state of deep, focused relaxation in which you become open to suggestions that could help change your attitude toward cigarettes. Your doctor may be able to refer you to a qualified hypnotherapist who specializes in smoking cessation.

5. Consider acupuncture

Some people are able to quit smoking with the help of acupuncture, even though research hasn’t proven that it helps. Acupuncture involves the placement of tiny needles in the body to release feel-good chemicals that could help manage the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.

Want to keep fit? Get this straight: Your habit of holding that roll of toxins can ruin everything. Osteoporosis and smoking have a strong connection. Nicotine, carbon monoxide and other toxins can affect bone health. Adolescents and peri-menopausal women are at great risk.

Successive researches suggest that smoking increases muscular pain, mainly around the hips, knees and neck. This is because nicotine alters brain’s perception of pain.

Smoking makes your blood sticky

Smoking increases blood pressure, heart rate and pulse rate. Here’s how it works: The carbon monoxide from the smoke reduces the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen to the heart and other organs, causing angina or chest pain, aneurysm, stroke and gangrene. It changes the properties of blood, making it stickier. The ill-effects of smoking don’t end here: Your addiction to nicotine alters the HDL cholesterol and other fatty substances level in the blood, increasing the chances of atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of blood vessels), which eventually leads to heart attack.

Forget dry eyes. Smoking can lead to cataract

The primary effects of smoking are itchiness, dryness, redness and irritation to the surface of the eyes. On smoking, chemicals enter your blood stream and produce many bi-products. It also affects the eye lens and can cause cataract — particularly nuclear cataract. Pregnant women exposed to smoke are more likely to give birth to babies with a disease known as ‘retinopathy of prematurity’.

Tobacco’s toxins can damage the genetic material in sperm cells

Men who smoke have a significantly higher risk of developing impotency (erectile dysfunction) than non-smokers. Smoking also leads to lower levels of testosterone, sperm count and libido. Toxins found in tobacco, including cadmium, nicotine, benzopyrene and related by-products, can damage the genetic material in sperm cells.

Smoking causes wrinkles, even change skin colour

Smoking leads to a wrinkled skin, even changing its colour. The skin around the mouth usually gets wrinkled, and the skin around the eyes develops lines much faster than a non-smoker. Smoking causes narrowing of blood vessels in the outer layer of the skin providing less oxygen and nutrients necessary to maintain its collagen and elastin fibers, leaving it saggy.

The sheer number of problems smoking causes to your oral cavity should make you quit your habit rightaway. It increases the risk of developing gum disease (shifts the equilibrium of microbes in the oral cavity towards disease causing microbes, a leading cause of tooth loss). It also increases risk of leukoplakia or white patches inside the mouth. It delays healing process following tooth extraction, periodontal treatment, or oral surgery. And yes, oral cancer that tops it all.

Smoking makes your body more toxic

Increasing number of researches support that smoking suppresses our innate and adaptive immune system that helps our body to fight against various diseases. Also a smoker’s body is more toxic due to inhalation of toxic products into the blood stream, thus liver is stressed making body more prone to diseases. It is also found that a smoker’s body contains more auto-antibodies making it more prone to certain autoimmune diseases.

Smoking adversely affects wound healing

Wound healing plays an important role in the success of many forms of treatment and smoking is seen to have reversible but adverse effects on wound healing clinically. Among the many mechanisms that are responsible for delayed wound healing, few of them involve transient effect on tissue micro environment and prolonged effect on inflammatory cell functions.

Lung cancer? Think bladder, breast, pancreas, stomach… cancers too

Lung cancer is not the only cancer caused by smoking. Almost every part of the body can be affected. Your bladder, breast, stomach, pancreas, ovary, can get affected too.

“Come to where the flavour is”- doesn’t this statement by a favorite brand vaguely remind you of the story of a Pied Piper of Hamelin? How the beautiful music of his pipe became a reason of the unfortunate fate of his followers But what about the destiny of all those who still follow the pipe, even after knowing the fact that it will be a cause of the deterioration of their lives? Is it a deliberate self-destruction or thought-through suicide?

#1000Noes to quit smoking is a drive, started by Billion Hearts Beating for this year’s “World No Tobacco Day”. The principal intent behind the drive is to spread awareness amongst the smokers to think about their heart. The idea has been conceived to make a platform, where the two different worlds of Smokers and Non-Smokers will be shown, so that can vicariously help the Smokers to understand how smoking is coercing them physically and emotionally.

It is a well-known phenomenon that smoking is a remedy for everything to all the smokers. Smokers have a misconception that it’s an act of self-expression for them. They pay no heed to the harmful effects of smoking as they have a reason to use tobacco for almost every occasion, and sometimes to beat stress also. Smoking is a reward that smokers give to themselves as often as they wish, ignoring heart care.

We call upon everyone to be a part of this drive and support our vision.

Together, we could create ripples of change amongst smokers’ by coming up with reasons to burst their bubble of hallucinations. And also make them aware that smoking, heart disease & other consequences should not be ignored.

Taking the spirit further, Billion Hearts Beating gives an ultimate call to everyone, to let the message out that you have one good reason to quit.

The positive benefits of a healthy life can be attained very quickly within a few days. A healthy life completes with little modifications and positive thinking, which includes a healthy body and sound mental health.

A healthy lifestyle is a great challenge in today’s busy hours, the influence of packed foods and fewer activities, are significant reasons for an unhealthy life. In the rush of these numerous choices, today people starve for a healthier life and search for the benefits.

These four broad benefits would help you to nourish a healthy life:

1. Builds a Strong Immune System – Strong immune system protects the body against diseases and illness by helping the cells destroy virus and germs. A healthy diet rich in fruits, legumes, vegetables, nuts and seeds helps a lot to support the immune system and fight against heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.

2. Provides Strength and Longer Life – These Four healthy lifestyle factors help’s in improving the resistance powers and stamina to work more. Limited alcohol consumption, avoiding tobacco, refined nutrition and regular physical activity all combine to make a body fit and active. Physical exercises also improve joint stability and flexibility.

3. Healthy lifestyle reduces the stress levels eventually - It reduces the symptoms of impatience and depression. The systematic approach towards work schedules at home and workplace enhance the moods and keeps you happy. Emotional boost helps your outlook and improve your self-confidence.

4. Improves the appearance - A healthy life builds up with Fitness, well-being and vitality. A healthy weight, reduced alcohol intake, eating a well-balanced diet, and a big no to smoking altogether increases the energy levels. Experts quote that staying hydrated, getting adequate sleep; proper nutrition supplies your body with the nutrients needed for healthy and lustrous hair, bright eyes, and glowing skin.

These benefits of a healthy life surround the society, but people often ignore the simple facts that they can follow without any hesitation.

Food safety is the most important aspect of health. Food safety lies in the hands of everyone dealing with the food; it includes farmers, individuals, food producers who work in markets and food service establishments and those who prepare the food. It’s their combined responsibility to keep food as safe as possible.

Food safety is all about handling, storing and preparation. And to maintain the nutrients of the healthy diet, one has to prevent it from infection.

Bacteria can be spread throughout the kitchen and get onto hands, cutting boards, utensils, counter tops and food. So Let’s learn about the Four significant food safety advices:

1. Clean kitchen surfaces, utensils, and hands with soap and water, before and after preparing food.

Use paper towels to clean the surface of the kitchen. And keep washing your cloth towels in hot water.

Remove the impurities of fresh fruits and vegetables under running tap water with a soft brush.

2. Don’t cross-contaminate the raw meats from other fruits and vegetables, and use different cutting boards.

Healthy eating does not include strict dietary limitations. Don’t deprive yourself of the foods you love. Instead, change the diet. It’s not as easy, but by using these simple tips, you can cut through the difficulties and learn them.

1. Simplify the food with habits- Think in terms of color, variety, and freshness. Instead of changing your entire diet overnight. Think about how you feel after eating. Think of smaller portions, use small plates, if you don’t feel satisfied in the end, round off the meal with a fresh fruit.

2. It’s about what you eat and how you eat- Healthy eating is also about how you think about food. Relate the nutrition facts rather than just eating anything in the meetings, way between the office or at home watching some movie. Try to eat with others whenever possible, it will evoke the social etiquettes, and you will eat slowly and nicely chewing each bite.

3. Take the time and savor each bite- Reconnect with the joy of eating. Eat slowly and listen to your body, sometimes it needs a glass of water instead of food. Eating in front of TV or computers often leads to mindless overeating.

4. Fill your plate with colorful fruits & vegetables- They are the foundation of a healthy diet. As they are low in calories and contains nutrients in abundance. In Short, they are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber.

5. Choose wisely from healthy carbohydrates and fiber sources- They protect against coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and diabetes. The healthy fat nourishes the brain, heart and cells as well as your hairs, nails, and skin. The foods rich in omega-3 fats can reduce the cardiovascular disease, improves your mood and prevent from dementia.

6. Calcium in the diet- Calcium is an essential ingredient, it is good for bones and keeps the teeth strong as you age, send messages through the nervous system and regulate the heart’s rhythm. Calcium adds a reliable source of calcium in your diet with the dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt.

7. Protein is a huge source of energy- It’s essential in building the blocks in the body for growth and energy, it maintains the cells, tissues and organs. Replace red meat with fish, chicken or plant-based proteins such as beans, nuts and soy.

8. Change your salt and sugar habits- Both are important to add taste to the diet, but with the energy they cause health and weight problems as well. Fruits are the best sweets, eat them instead of cakes and other sweets. Reduce the salt consumption in the diets, eating too much salt can cause high blood pressure and lead to other health problems.

Exercise consists of physical activities to keep the heart healthy; these activities can be dancing, swimming, running, cycling and other sports as well. These exercises help in reducing the stress hormones that put an extra burden on the heart health in a woman’s body.

A satisfactory amount of training& exercise often changes the female anatomy to a more comfortable form. It helps you in losing the extra fat, and with that you can buy a new pair of pants or skirt to reward yourself.

Here are the few points, for women to schedule their fitness activities according to their daily tasks such as:

• Get active; go for the stairs instead of the escalators, while going to a grocery store take a walk and avoid the auto or car.

• Divide your 3o minutes of exercises or walks per day into three parts, if you can’t spend 30 minutes at a time.

• If you carry some extra pounds, then set a healthy target to keep the heart and obesity problems away.

• Involve friends, neighbors and even your kids in your physical activities. Plan regular outings and game sessions in your community gardens once in a week.

• It’s not important to lose lots of weights altogether, you can start with the 5% to 10% of your initial extra weight.

• Be positive towards every phase of life, exercises reduce the stress and keep the mind active in a fresh state.

• Exercises upgrade the muscles, and their ability to pull out oxygen from the blood, thereby reducing the requirement of the heart to pump more blood to the muscles.

Physical activities exert a positive effect in decreasing the reasons of stroke in woman. They act asanti depression remedies for women’s heart.

Good health habits are hard to find these days. While rushing to the workplace and home nowadays; a woman rarely gets any time to pamper her heart.

Women know the importance of heart health, but they often ignore it by saying that they can’t avoid the daily chores. This attitude keeps their heart health at risk every day.

Here we have come up with few simple remedies that women can follow comfortably and share with their friends and keep their heart healthy.

1. Set some simple goals and reduce the stress levels to keep your heart health more regular and stable.

2. Get yourself ready to face the challenges set by you without any restrictions.

3. Plan a healthy and nutritious 30-day diet chart and maintain that healthy diet strategy for your heart. It would surely help you attain a healthy state of mind and increase your stamina.

4. Start motivating your conscience to build new rules that would affect your heart health. Follow them without hesitation and feel the freedom.

5. Get active and say yes to exercise. It’s vital for the heart health as it maintains the energetic physique.

6. Start with a new habit when you are in a good mood, involve family and friends in your plans. You would notice a big difference very soon in your lifestyle.

7. Take proper amount of sleep and give perfect rest to the body, when it is needed.

8. Plan a vacation once in a year to refresh yourself, and make new friends over the trips and compile a travel diary with some images.

9. Act wisely and take proper guidance from the doctor to keep the track of your blood sugar and blood pressure reports.

Enjoy the little pleasures with a fresh passion every day. Make your busy lifestyle simple by following these familiar policies set by yourself. Keep your heart strong and give it a feel of quality experience.

With every passing year, a woman’s body undergoes numerous changes and with these variations the heart health also makes adjustments. After a definite age, a woman experiences many physical complaints, and often goes through different mental stress. A Healthy heart plays a vital role in a woman’s life to manage this stress.

Engaging in physical activities provides physical stamina and strength to women to finish their daily chores and be more active in the workplace. Even a small amount of exercise could help a woman attain a good health. Exercise gives power to the HDL or good cholesterol and helps in controlling the triglycerides. It decreases the risk of heart diseases and helps in maintaining the blood pressure. It burns the extra calories and and helps build up a better physique.

The rapidly growing Heart diseases can meet you at any age. In United States heart diseases are a leading cause of deaths among women. The women in the age group of 35 to 54 have been facing many of the heart diseases; this ratio is rising over the last 10-20 years. The Doctors recommend to:

• Quit smoking as it reduces the risk of heart diseases in half

• Eat healthy and nutritious diet with less sodium

• Keep a regular check on the blood pressure and blood sugar

• Get the cholesterol levels restrained, keep the body weight under control and stay active

Heart specialists suggest that adults go for a heart screening once every year, under the supervision of doctors. Prevention and better health strategies can gradually keep a woman’s heart miles away from heart diseases. Be more familiar towards the symptoms so that the health threats can be easily prevented. A healthy heart would give you some extra years, filled with fun and good health.

It’s the best time for women to be aware of the threats that can affect the heart health and results of cardiovascular diseases. On this International Women’s day both the working and housekeeping, women’s should take important initiatives to change their lifestyle and reduce the risk factors to eliminate the cardiovascular health problems.

Did you know? That cardiovascular disease are affecting more women than men and are responsible for up to more than 40% of all deaths for women around the globe. The heart is the center of our cardiovascular system, and it significantly controls about everything that provides life to the body; its prime area ranges from the transportation of oxygen to the comfort of the body’s immune system. The foods women eat and the amount of activity they choose to take part in their lifestyle can exceptionally affect the complete heart health and the other notable tissues that help in building up your cardiovascular system.

The women might be at a greater risk for cardiovascular disease than they think. According to the recent surveys the 80% of the cardiovascular diseases can be easily avoided; women can smartly deal with them and lead their heart in a good health by maintaining it to a nutritious lifestyle throughout their entire lives. The Simple steps regularly include exercising, avoiding stress, monitoring the body weight, eating a nourishing and healthy diet and say goodbye to smoking.

There are certain traditional heart disease risk factors that play an active role as an obstacle in healthy heart like hypertension, blood sugar commonly known as diabetes and a family background of heart disease. In addition to smoking, birth control pill, obesity and a deskbound lifestyle there are certain other ways with which women increase their risk for cardiovascular disease. It sometimes includes hypertensive pregnancy, illness, bleeding instabilities, gestational diabetes, related to menstruation, premature menopause, and polycystic ovary syndrome.

The doctors advise women after the age of 30 to keep a regular check on their cholesterol levels, blood sugar and maintain a normal blood pressure under regular supervision, especially after menopause when the cardiovascular disease risk in females increases speedily. The women’s are identified to a smaller extent and well treated as compared to men; we need to focus on female heart health matters and encourage the knowledge of cardiovascular disease amongst the women’s this Women’s day.

The Women of this century is sensible, but they often take the symptoms as a common tiredness and fatigue; women should be awake and get informed of the risk factors and report the initial problems with the physician.

The time has arrived when the women should understand the symptoms and high-risk factors. As the women lead more stressful routine in comparison with men, and the number of heart stroke is more commonly found in women than men, it’s because the average life hopefulness for women is greater than for the men. To keep the active heart ailments inactive, a healthy promise should be made by women for a better heart healthy way of life and its accomplishment. It’s never too late to start the move and reduce the heart health risks and celebrate this women’s day with a healthy heart.

The nourishment of the good heart health has its origin in the well organized living tendencies that Women practice in their daily routine. The routine entails the living patterns and addiction with various life affecting materialistic things and lifestyle. Researchers have proved that habits have a great influence on heart health of women’s.

Our heart is a muscle that requires physical activities to accumulate its fitness to pump the blood more systematically in the human body. Without involving your heart in regular physical activities, the body might lose its strength, the stamina to function greatly.

Here the experts have come up with some interesting and useful things Women can easily implement to look after the heart health at its best.

1. Each and every woman prefer a Simple and healthier life in today’s rushing hours, the lifestyle that would reduce the stress; stress management is a big and most influencing factor responsible for bad heart health. How women’s reciprocate with the stress affects the heart health. By taking a perfect amount of sleep would increase the stamina in women’s bodies and reduces the heart risk. The two easy actions are being positive and deal with the circumstances like to take short walks, control your overeating, meditate, start yoga and the other one are the negative aspect, which increases the anger, anticipation and comes with a few of the bad habits as well like, smoking, consuming alcohol, overeating. Be more candid and simple and control the heart rate and stress.

2. Healthy eating habits increase some extra source of happiness in women’s heart; it leads to a healthy weight and reduces the risks for your valuable heart. A heart healthy diet will undoubtedly lower the risk of heart diseases by 80% in women’s. Plan a diet chart and add more vegetables and fruits with whole grains and raw nuts like avocados, almonds. Instead of milk give a chance to soya milk and yogurt. Women’s should avoid the foods that are high in sodium. By adding more heart healthy eating tendencies water should be given more importance and privilege.

3. Exercise and fitness both should be involved from the very beginning in a woman’s daily routine. Maintaining the fitness can be a big motivator for the fashion status, but in the daily routine exercising the body gives many benefits; it reduces the weight, lowers the blood pressure, and helps in increasing the HDL cholesterol, quit smoking, and moreover it improves the physical strength, its flexibility and balance of a woman’s body to face hundreds of tasks.

4. Control the Cholesterol with heart healthy foods and engage yourself in at least 30 minutes of exercise or walk in a day, avoid the tobacco and smoke; you can easily play the dynamic part in lowering the cholesterol. Women’s can avoid the bad diets, and start learning the good heart healthy choices to help you lead a cheerful and peppy life for a longer duration.

5. Monitor the blood pressure and blood sugar without wasting any time; women’s should go for the regular look over. Tracking both these essential factors would decrease the risk factors that might affect the women’s heart health.

These Habits play a vital role in building the necessary benchmark that configures healthy patterns of women’s significant facets and life. A women’s dependency upon these good and bad modes of lifestyle are the essential characteristics that help in retaining heart health. A Heart Healthy living comprises of some tough decisions made by a Woman to keep their hearts healthy whenever they need, whatever is the age. More than half of the heart related problems and diseases are preventable with some simple strategies.

Winter is a season in which you cannot afford to miss heart health checkups. An extensive body of medical research indicates that most of heart ailments and heart attacks occur in the winter season.
The various reasons behind the increased incidence of heart attack in the winter season are as follows:

1. The intake of fatty diet and consumption of alcohol increases in the winter chill.
High calorie food and beverages are the major risk factors that undermine heart health.

2. The increased workload of the heart to prevent hypothermia is another reason for the increased risk of getting a heart attack in the winter season. Now, it has to work harder to do double work. In addition to pump blood to various body parts and maintain blood circulation, the heart undertakes the additional task to keep the body warm and prevent hypothermia.

3. Heart attacks are caused by the formation of blood clots, which blocks the flow of blood to the heart. These blood clots, especially those found in major heart arteries form more during winter season as compared to other seasons of the year.

There is no doubt that it can be difficult to follow one’s exercise routine when winter hits. The cold weather and strong urge to stay in your nice warm blanket can work against you as you try to stick with your exercise program.Therefore, keeping oneself motivated to workout during the winter season becomes an extremely difficult yet important task to stay fit and heart healthy.

One of the easiest way which make winter exercise comfortable and can help you stay committed to your exercise routine is to warm up before you go out for a workout. You should focus on doing warm ups that get your body ready for the coming workout as it becomes much easier to face cold temperatures when your body is already warm. If you prefer to walk or run in the park then you should start with walking or jogging round the house for a few minutes before stepping out in the cold. However, you must avoid getting too sweaty before you go out or you’ll catch cold. So keep yourself heart healthy this winter season by not disturbing your workout routine.

A winter season delight, Spinach is rich in iron, calcium, Vit A,C,E,K,B2, B6, phosphorous, protein, folic acid,omega-3 fatty acids, and other antioxidants as well. So keep your little one warm and healthy this winter with a bowl of spinach soup

Recipe:

Ingredients

Spinach leaves, cleaned and chopped – 1 cup

½ tsp refined oil

Chopped Garlic- half a clove

Jeera/Cumin seeds- ½ tsp

A pinch of Salt (optional)

Plain drinking water – 2 cups

Instructions:

Rinse the spinach leaves well in water.Chop them and keep aside.½ tsp refined oil

Many of you would be happy to know that dark chocolate is good for your heart health. The reasoning being that the cocoa bean is rich in a class of plant nutrients called flavonoids help protect plants from environmental toxins and help repair damage. Flavanols are the main type of flavonoid found in cocoa and chocolate. Several studies have found that dark chocolate, with its heart-healthy flavonols, can help restore flexibility to arteries while also preventing white blood cells from sticking to the walls of blood vessels. Both arterial stiffness and white blood cell adhesion are known factors that play a significant role in atherosclerosis.

There’s no doubt that office life can wear you down physically. Sitting all day long coupled with an unrestricted sugar intake increases your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. Therefore, it is important to revive yourself occasionally with a few stretches and basic exercises. Here are the few exercises that can help you stay fit and beat the boredom during your working hours

Flapping wings. Stretch both of your arms up and back, as far as you can. Bring them forward until they meet and stretch your arms out in front of you. Repeat.

Bench Dips – Using your chair or sturdy table, place your hands on the edge of the object and bend your arms to slowly lower yourself about six inches lower than the seat. Raise yourself by straightening your arms. Repeat this three times a day for 10 repetitions.

Toe raises. Lift your toes while keeping your heels firmly on the ground. While you can do this exercise standing, it works very well while seated.

Legs – Squats – Stand in front of your chair and repeat sitting down and standing up 10 times three times a day.

Assisted Push-up - In the office, lean up against your desk and push yourself away from the desk while in a leaning position. Repeat this three times a day for 10 repetitions.

According to a recent research, taking small yet frequent walks can help reduce the harm caused by sitting for long hours at work. Sitting all day long in the pursuit of one’s target at work increases the risk of a heart disease, in addition to contributing to other health problems. According to a research study conducted at Indiana University, sitting for a prolonged period of time can cause blood to pool in the legs. This happens because the muscles are not contracting and pumping blood to the heart as effectively. As a result, the ability of blood vessels to expand from increased blood flow can become impaired. Being sedentary is also linked to high cholesterol and a larger waistline, which increase the risk for heart and metabolic disease.

The researchers examined the effects of three hours of sitting on 11 healthy men and found that the ability of the arteries in the legs to expand was reduced by as much as 50 percent after just one hour of sitting. However, the men who walked for five minutes for each hour they spent sitting had no reduction in the function of their arteries during the three-hour period.

The researchers concluded that the increased muscle activity and blood flow from the small amount of exercise offset the negative impacts of sitting.

Did you know that once a woman reaches the age of 50, about the age of natural menopause, her risk for heart disease increases dramatically?

Menopause is a process during which a woman’s reproductive and hormonal cycles slow, her periods (menstruation) eventually stop, the ovaries stop releasing eggs for fertilization and produce less estrogen and progesterone, and the possibility of pregnancy ends. Young women who have undergone early or surgical menopause and those who have gone through menopause but also have other heart disease risk factors, like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, inactive lifestyle or family history of heart disease are at greater risk of getting a heart disease or a stroke.

A healthy lifestyle goes a long way in preventing heart disease in women. Incorporating the following tips into your everyday life may help you reduce your risk of heart disease during and after menopause:

Quit smoking.

Smokers have twice (or higher) the risk of heart attack than nonsmokers. In addition to eliminating cigarettes, you must also stay away from passive smoking as it also increases the risk of heart disease.

Exercise to get active :

The heart is like any other muscle — it needs to be worked to keep it strong and healthy. Being active or exercising regularly helps improve how well the heart pumps blood through your body. Activity and exercise also help reduce many other risk factors. It helps lower high blood pressure and cholesterol, reduces stress, helps keep weight off, and improves blood sugar levels. Check with your doctor if you have been inactive before increasing your activity level.

Eat right food at the right time.

Follow a diet low in saturated fat; low in trans fat (partially hydrogenated fats); and high in fiber, whole grains, legumes (such as beans and peas), fruits, vegetables, fish and foliate-rich foods. Do not skip meals to stay heart healthy.

Treat and control medical conditions.

Diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure are known risk factors for heart disease. Taking regular medical check up and consultation helps you to keep your risk factors in check and reduce your chances of getting a heart disease.

Recent studies have shown a strong connection between common infections and heart disease. A study of more than 800 men and women in Europe revealed that those who had recurrent infections such as sinus infections and Bronchitis were also more likely to develop artery clogging plaques. According to Dr. Stefan Kiechl, professor of Neurology at Innsbruck University clinic, this is the first study to assess a strong evidence that chronic infection increases the overall risk of blood vessel disease.

A myriad number of medical studies have revealed that blood pressures are higher in the winter months. Low temperatures cause narrowing of blood vessels (vasoconstriction) which increases blood pressure because more pressure is needed to force blood through a person’s narrowed veins and arteries. Other seasonal causes of high blood pressure include weight gain, excessive intake of alcohol and caffeine and less physical activity. Therefore, to help you keep your blood pressure in check this winter season, here are a few simple tips which you must inculcate in your routine to stay healthy and avoid the risk of heart disease:

Check your blood pressure regularly and maintain a record of the fluctuations observed in it. Consult your physician if you record a major change in your blood pressure.

Take up a physical activity which suits you best. Physical activities like going for a brisk walk, jogging or taking up a yoga or aerobics class help to to reduce high blood pressure as they strengthen the heart and also lower the risk of heart attack.

Do not give in to the temptations of high calorie winter delights. Enjoy seasonal fruits and vegetables and drink plenty of water as it helps in the removal of unhealthy toxins from the body.

At last but not the least, avoid taking part in stressful activities as it will create unnecessary pressure on your heart which in turn will increase your blood pressure.

Peanuts are the powerhouse of good nutrition that can help you stay heart healthy by reducing the risk of heart disease. Peanuts are composed of monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that lowers LDL, or the “bad” cholesterol. The phytosterols that peanuts contain have been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells and reduce your risk for heart disease . As preventative measures against heart disease, phytosterols block the absorption of cholesterol that comes from your diet and they reduce the reabsorption of cholesterol by the liver where naturally occurring cholesterol originates. In addition to this, Peanuts have been found to contain the potent anti aging molecule ‘resveratrol’, the same phytochemical found in red wine and grapes. Studies have shown that resveratrol can fight the proliferation of fat cells and improve the uptake of sugar from the blood.

Apart from being a beautiful green plant and a traditional remedy for skin problems, aloe vera serves a number of health benefits. Here are the few reasons why you must consider drinking aloe vera juice to keep yourself heart-healthy.

Aloe vera is rich in vitamins A, C, D, E, and a combination of B vitamins – B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid and niacin. It also contains minerals such as copper, magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, sodium and iron as well as amino acids and enzymes. In other words, it is loaded with natural digestive strengtheners which helps in fighting free radicals and boosts the immune system.

In addition to this, studies show that Aloe vera has an amazing ability to ease inflammation, joint and muscle pain and restore youthful movement and freedom.

Though there’s no doubt that internal consumption of aloe vera can help you become stronger and healthier, it is always advisable to seek your doctor’s opinion to get the best results .

To educate people about heart health and the significance of adopting 5 simple solutions in their lifestyle, BHB organizes regular heart screening camps across the country. . As of June 2014 over 1,60,000 individuals have received free heart checks and over 3,54,000 people have taken the pledge to make meaningful changes in their lives to prevent the heart disease.

BHB with the support of Apollo Pharmacy regularly provides required medication in old age homes, orphanages and shelters for the homeless people across the country. In addition to this, BHB also conducts free heart checkups for the residents old age homes across different cities.

Designed exclusively for working executives, Billion Hearts Beating@ Work is a heart-healthy program which stresses on the mportance of adopting a healthy lifestyle to avert the potential risk of heart disease. The workshop is structured around the ‘Five Simple solutions’ that can help employees to lead a healthy life.

For most of us, Diwali is all about indulging into excess eating, drinking and partying. It is that time of the year when all the efforts to keep one’s weight, cholesterol and diabetes in check go in vain and the probability of us falling in the most dangerous pitfalls for good health increase manifolds.Since the festival makes it almost impossible to resist the temptations of giving in to high calorie sweets and delicacies, a post Diwali detox can be a best way to undo the toll taken by the festive season on your system. Here are a few simple ways which can help you to get rid of those extra calories.

1. Drink Plenty of Water: Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day and count to make sure you have gotten the right number. Water will help flush out almost all the toxins from your system and will help in improving your metabolism.

2. Eating frequent meals in less quantity: Cutting back on the size of your portions and try eating 5-6 times rather than 3 times a day help a lot in restoring the internal balance. Eating lots of salads and fruits help you in detoxifying your system.

3. Sweat It Out: Going for a brisk walk, jogging or hitting the gym helps you burn those extra-calories. Resuming your exercise schedule will make you feel more active and also reduce the guilt of consuming too much fried food and sweets during the festive season.

4. Refuse Sugar: If you are really looking forward to detoxification then cutting down on your sugar intake is the most difficult yet essential part of the process. The sweet cravings can be satisfied with fruits intake. As natural sugars from fruits are rich in anti-oxidants , they leave you feeling more energetic and light throughout the day.

5. Sip Some Green Tea: A cup of green tea helps in detoxification and cleansing. Two cups a day, one in the morning and one in the evening, will make a lot of difference and you will feel the change too.

Meditation is an exercise with numerous benefits. It is proven to be an effective way of enhancing quality of life by improving physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. Scientific studies have shown that regular practice of meditation benefits brain. Some of the health benefits of meditation for brain are as following:

1. Improved mood and working memory – even under stress.

Meditation is not an activity designed to take us away from the problems of life, rather it helps us face them with our full capacity. Dealing with circumstances that seem beyond your control can result in negative mood, anxiety, or chronic stress. New studies have proven that meditation actually improves mood and working memory; even in times of extreme pressure.

2. Alleviate mental distractions

Training the mind to stay focused is a major motivation for practicing meditation. Fortunately the rewards of meditation practice don’t take years to cultivate. In a recent study it was shown that less than a week of practice resulted in significant improvement of cognitive abilities across a range of tests.Meditation also has positive effects and reduces the symptoms of some mental disorders. ADD, anxiety, and depression are all marked by an increase in distracting or otherwise unwanted thoughts. Meditation trains the mind to free itself from detrimental thought patterns.

3. Increase the size of your brain

Meditating actually causes your brain to grow. As one grow older, age tends to cause thinning in the frontal-cortex. Without proper mental exercise, the gray matter responsible for language, cognition and emotional processing gradually degrades. This degradation has the potential to leave us with a higher risk for declining cognitive ability. Studies show that regular meditation slows thinning of brain tissue. Meditation is also responsible for thickening parts of the brain associated with attention and working memory – crucial areas that are linked with intelligence.

Examinations and Stress are two sides of the same coin. It is true that where there is a pressure to perform , there’s oodles of stress which can either make or break your performance. However, If one follow a few simple steps and channelize his/her effort in a well thought out direction then it is possible to get the best results even in the most difficult examination of one’s academic career. Following are the few such steps which can help you keep the stress at its minimum.

1. Start Early – As adventurous as it may sound, don’t leave studying to the few days before your exam. Cramming makes you feel unorganized and can cause even more stress. Give yourself plenty of time to review your material, make good notes and mentally prepare.

2. Make a Plan – Setting out a study plan or calendar for yourself will help you to stay organized and ensure that you are covering all the material. Covering difficult topics first helps you get a better grip over the subject.

3. Eat Healthy & Stay Hydrated – Maintaining balanced nutrition during exam time is key to keeping yourself feeling full and fueled during this stressful time. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables and drinking lots of water and fresh juices help you stay active and attentive during your study sessions.

4. Change Up the Scenery – Try to find a few different study spots that you feel comfortable and productive in. If you’re feeling bored or distracted by your environment it makes it harder to focus on the material that you’re meant to be studying.

5. Take a Break – It is important to take some time away from studying and give yourself a physical and mental break. Do something to take your mind off of studying like taking a small walk or playing some game with friends. You will feel refreshed and ready to focus when you return to the table.

6. Sleep Sufficiently – Sleep is our body’s way of regenerating and will help to make you feel sharp and alert when it comes time to perform on that test. Make sure you sleep well before penning your hard work down on paper!

7. Be Positive – Nothing helps more than having faith in one’s preparations. Keeping telling yourself that you know whatever you have covered and that this will going to be one of best paper of this term.

1. Talk with your child about the things you read and hear, especially the things you find interesting. Ask your kids how they feel about various issues (current events, relationships, values). Allow them to have opinions without passing judgment. Ask your children to help you understand why they feel the way they do.

3. Provide your child with free time. Children need plenty of free time to discover and explore. Don’t jam-pack your schedule with errands and activities. Give your child time for free play, daydreaming and roaming around in the back yard.

4. Pursue your own hobbies and interests. Share these with your child, but do not require that he or she follow your pursuits. Encourage your kids to have interests of their own. If they show curiosity about a hobby, area of study, sport, or instrument, encourage and support them in any way your finances allow.

Kids need at least one interest outside school. Having a hobby helps them relax and get away from the routines of school, which is good for their mental health. Anxiety seems to be quite an issue these days with many kids, so the opportunity to lose themselves in an enjoyable activity, away from the pressures of school, has become even more important. Every child needs to be good at something.

From the age of 13, young people tend to define themselves in terms of an area that they excel in, so it’s important that they find a niche. If they don’t experience success at school, then hobbies and outside interests become even more important. Of course, kids can have too many interests and be too busy.

As a parent, it’s important to help your child develop a hobby or an interest and it doesn’t matter if it’s not part of the mainstream. It may be necessary to encourage your child to try different hobbies, as it takes some experimentation to find out what they like and what they are good at.

More and more people are turning their hobbies into jobs, a fulfilling way to make a living and spend more time at home, close to family. Indeed most entrepreneurs say the secret of their success was due to the simple fact that they wanted to do something they were passionate about.

It certainly follows that job fulfillment combined with making a decent living is a winning combination, so turning your hobby, creative talent or great idea into a career could just offer the new direction you’re looking for. You’ll probably gain more flexibility as you can decide how ‘big’ you want to go, plus there’s the added incentive of being your own boss and working around other family commitments, usually from the comfort of your own home.

But if your idea really takes off you may find yourself busier than you ever were in your previous job so it’s important not to underestimate the additional work load you could be taking on. It’s not unusual for small business owners to work round the clock on occasions, particularly in the early days of getting yourself established or if you find yourself pitching for lucrative new business.

It might seem madness to leave a job in our unstable financial times, but remember that initially you can combine your day job with working on your hobby-based business in the evenings or at weekends and take it from there. That way you’re pursuing your great idea without taking on too much risk.

A hobby has many benefits, not just for your mental wellbeing but also for your physical fitness. Exercise is the obvious #1 health benefit of any hobby. Second is a hobby’s social benefit. There are clearly psychological benefits of interactions in social groups, so hobbies will get extra credit if they lead to interpersonal meaningful interactions. Third is the need to think, either analytically, computationally, or just stretch you to think and learn.

Dancing: Ballroom, swing, whatever the style, dancing rates high on all of the criterion above.

Gardening: If you like working in the dirt, reaping the benefits of your toils in the kitchen or as a favor to the eye in the yard, this is a hugely popular and healthy option for exercise.

Golf: Lower on the list than you might think, because of the big time commitments, cost, and golf only gets credit if you don’t use a cart. Still, if walked briskly, done regularly, and enjoyed, it is a healthy choice.

Cooking: Included here because almost anything you cook has the potential to be a healthier meal than something out of a box, can or at a restaurant.

Horse-back riding: This hobby can bring you closer to nature, and it’s something you can do alone or with your friends. It’s a great way to spend a regular weekend away and it’s great full body exercise.

Everyone is different and your personality does play a role in what sorts of hobbies you’ll like. If you don’t have a lot of patience you might feel like quilting might be too much for you, but exploring quick sewing projects might be a better choice.

Maybe you really like hanging out with friends, so you need to take a class or have n interest that you can do with a group. If you travel a lot, something portable or that you can do anywhere is helpful; if you’re a homebody you might love to be surrounded by a cool collection.

Think about the things you already like and how they might expand. If you’re always ordering fun drinks, maybe you could learn to make some at home. If you can’t resist the colors in the paintings at your favorite restaurant, perhaps you should pick up some paint or a camera and explore color in your own way.

The truth is you may not hit the perfect activity for you right out of the gate, but you can have a lot of fun trying out new things and exploring what’s out there. Do some web searches, visit the library, don’t be afraid to try new things, and soon you’ll have a hobby that provides you with a lot of fun and stress relief, too.

If you’re adding a new hobby to your life, you have to take time and focus away from something else. The good news is that most of us have a lot of time we’re not using well, either because we’re spending a lot of time online or watching TV or just wasting time we could be spending on our hobbies.

See if you can carve out a half hour or so every day or every other day to explore your interest. If there’s a way to start small, such as going to play pool at a bar before investing in your own table or buying a craft kit instead of a ton of supplies, that would be best in case you find that hobby isn’t for you after all.

Having a hobby is a great way to relieve stress, a creative outlet and a way to meet new people. In fact, there are lots of ways hobbies are good for you. But if you don’t have a regular leisure activity that you enjoy, it can be difficult to decide which one will be enjoyable for you. Here are some tips for finding an interest that fits your personality and interests.

Look to your Past. Are there things you enjoyed as a kid that you might still enjoy as an adult? Maybe you had an awesome record collection, loved to sew clothes for your dolls or were always out on your bike. Those are all things you could pick up again as an adult that would make great hobbies.

Go on a scavenger hunt. It might be useful to hit the crafts store, the sporting goods store or the nearest music emporium or book store. Browse around and see what captures your attention. Maybe you find yourself drawn to the cookbooks or the scrapbooking section; this can give you a clue as to what you might be interested in.

Hobbies aren’t just for those with too much time on their hands. In fact, an engaging hobby can make a significant improvement to your heart health.

While you enjoy a new diversion, it might also help you fight everything from stress to high blood pressure. Here are a few hobbies that have been proven to have a positive impact on your health.

Cooking is a fun, creative and rewarding hobby. It also gives you greater insight into the elements you put in to your body — think fresher, less processed.

Traveling brings out a part of you that may otherwise be unexplored — and it isn’t only about taking expensive vacations. It’s about exploring the life and culture of your chosen destination, something that can begin well in advance of your actual journey.

Gardeningis certainly more than simply planting a few pretty flowers and hoping they bloom. In fact, a committed relationship with your garden can result in improved respiratory and cardiovascular systems, better strength and flexibility, and perhaps best of all, a release of mood-bolstering endorphins.

Reading is less about what you’re reading and more about the fact that you derive pleasure from the act. Reading has tons of benefits, it helps you relax and beat stress.

Art isn’t just about creating something beautiful, it’s about discovering a secret side of yourself. Through that discovery you’ll also enjoy an internal calm and find the emotional balance you may have been searching for. Remember, art isn’t about talent — it’s about inspiration and expression.

Historically, music and healing have always gone hand in hand. The Chinese character for medicine includes the character for music. In ancient Greece, music was used to ease stress, promote sleep, and soothe pain. Native Americans and Africans used singing and chanting as part of their healing rituals.

In Western medicine, the connection was gradually broken when the art of medicine gave way to the science of medicine. It’s slowly being restored as music therapists demonstrate the value of music for treating people with everything from Alzheimer’s disease to chronic pain and substance abuse problems.

Researchers have turned their attention to the effects of music on the cardiovascular system. Most have looked at more holistic effects. Although a few researches have focused on specific variables, such as changes in blood pressure, heart rate, or blood flow through arteries. We are looking forward to the results.

Stress and alcohol are the two leading causes of heart diseases in Indian men.

May 28, 2014

Stress and alcohol are the primary immediate triggers for in Indian men but sexual activity could also set off the life-threatening condition, a cross-sectional survey of patients has found.
The survey, conducted on 290 stroke patients (210 men and 80 women) showed that certain high-risk activities had triggered the stroke in 44% of them. Among men, this figure was higher at 48%.

A ‘trigger’ is the immediate cause that precipitates a stroke while ‘risk factors’ are lifestyle and health conditions that increase the chances of having a stroke in the long run.

Are you thinking you should limit your nap time? No. You should however avoid taking sleeping pills. Recent studies have shown that people who are accustomed to taking sleeping pills to rock themselves into a deep slumber, are at a great risk of succumbing to heart disease. Statistics show that pills usually increase the chances of cardiac disease by nearly 50% which is quite unfortunate if you wish to live a long and healthy life.

This study was conducted in Britain where the drug zolpidem is quite popularly sold under the name Stilnoct for the sleep deprived. Even four doses of this pill which is about 35mg can catapult the risk of cardiac disease by 20 percent. There are people who take sleeping pills almost everyday of the week. How long do you think they have before they are victimized by a cardiac arrest?

On the other hand, sleep deprivation could also be a major factor in developing a cardiac disease. A Harvard University study revealed that people who sleep less than five hours a night are at a greater risk of heart disease while compared to those who stick to the average eight hours or more.

Sleep deprivation can lead to elevated blood pressure, hypertension, increased level of stress hormones, tachycardia, lower glucose level and more such reactions. Also, sleep deprived people often gain weight at a rapid rate and suffer from diabetes. All these symptoms eventually leads to coronary disease.

Youngsters are at a greater risk of succumbing to a heart disease with their unhealthy lifestyle. Sleep apnea is one of the most common disorders which leads to a compromised sympathetic nervous system (SNS), hence resulting in increased blood pressure along with constriction of blood vessels.

The only way to avoid a cardiac arrest sometime in your life is to get a good night’s sleep.

Turn off all distractions like your phones, laptops, iPads, and anything else with a digital screen.

Read a nice book.

Listen to serene music.

Meditate for a while until you drift off to sleep.

Avoid taking sleeping pills.

Drink a cup of chamomile tea before bed.

Make sure your bedroom is your own little crib that will help you drift to dreamland with no effort.

The keys to good stress management are , being in control of your stress triggers, having a good social network and adopting a positive outlook.

Be active

If you have a stress-related problem, can get you in the right state of mind to be able to and find a solution. Exercise won’t make your stress disappear, but it will reduce some of the emotional intensity that you’re feeling, clearing your thoughts and enabling you to deal with your problems more calmly.

Take control

There’s a solution to any problem. The feeling of loss of control is one of the main causes of stress and lack of wellbeing.

The act of taking control is in itself empowering, and it’s a crucial part of finding a solution that satisfies you.

Connect with people

A problem shared is a problem halved. A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way. Talking things through with a friend will also help you find solutions to your problems.

Have some ‘me time’

The extra hours in our workplaces means that people aren’t spending enough time doing things that they really enjoy. We all need to take some time for socialising, relaxation or exercise.

So set aside a couple of nights a week for some quality “me time” away from work.

Accept the things you can’t change

Changing a difficult situation isn’t always possible. If this proves to be the case, recognise and accept things as they are and concentrate on everything that you do have control over.

For example, if your company is making redundancies, there’s nothing you can do about it. In such a situation, you need to focus on the things that you can control, such as looking for a new job.

Working out can be a pretty tedious and mundane activity at times. You can do a variety of things to break up the tedium like reading or watching something, but one of the most beneficial things to do while working out is listening to music.

Music affects our mood so it can make us more motivated to exercise by pumping us up or de- stressing us from a busy day. It can also make exercise a lot less laborious by putting us in a better frame of mind.

Trainers recommend having 4-5 different playlists that can be adapted through your mood and what you want to achieve.

For starters you could have 20 songs that have a fast, consistent beat like latest pop tracks that can help you exercise to that rhythm and then 20 songs with powerful lyrics that can inspire you to work harder and longer.

In a land of ghee, laddoo, and “Aur khao beta” attitude, obesity is a lost cause. Yet! We should never give up on a quest to lose weight as it has many more consequences than just reducing spaces around you. Think of it this way, you can live longer to eat more, fit into some beautiful clothes, and sneak into a concert through a crawl space ;).

Yes we have heard a million times to exercise and eat healthy for an ideal body weight. But who has the time to go to the gym or even walk when we are doing important things like being a couch potato, watching some of the most nail-biting moments of American Horror Story? We are not talking about cutting down on your share of BLT, instead just hoping you’d be interested in BLD – Belly Laugh Diet.

What’s that? You read it right. Laughing is a great way to lose weight. Now don’t laugh at this idea, you might accidentally lose calories, that might hamper your cynicism. Have you ever found people laughing loudly and purposefully for no reason? They are the laughter clubs, following the principles of “laughter therapy” for better health. This involves a huge group of people gathering and breaking into an endless hour of mirth together. It may help them each in different ways, but definitely does reduce their girth.

‘Laughtercising’ is now trending as a preferred method to beat stress and lose weight. There are many audiobooks and MP3s available with endless tracks of funny laughs, howling, and all sorts of guffaw that can get you ROFLing in seconds. While you are at it, you can lose at least 10 to 40 calories for every ten minutes of mirth. How’s that for exercise?

If you feel the urge to rummage through your refrigerator and chomp on something, take a moment. Laugh your belly out for a good 10 minutes. You’ll find you are not hungry anymore. We usually eat when we are stressed and this leads to weight gain, heart diseases, joint aches, and this list is endless! Solve the problem by easily relieving that pressure in your mind with a hearty laugh.

Google the Laughter Club International in Mumbai to know about laughter therapy and how it has helped to spread happiness, relief, and magically increased spaces around people in no time. So, Smile, Giggle, Chuckle, Laugh, Chortle, Guffaw, and do whatever needs to be done as you LOL, ROFL, and LMAO your way out of those big clothes.

Doing regular physical activity reduces the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, some cancers, type 2- diabetes and osteoporosis. However, doctors and fitness experts recommend that you choose an exercise plan according to your age bracket, as well as your health history. This is especially relevant for those who have suffered from a heart ailment or have a history of cardiovascular disease in their family.

Children and young people (aged 5-18 years):

Moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity for at least 60 minutes and up to several hours every day.

Vigorous intensity activities, including those that strengthen muscle and bone, should be incorporated at least three days a week.

Adults (aged 16-64 years):

Over a week, activity should add up to at least 150 minutes (2½ hours) of moderate intensity activity in bouts of 10 minutes or more. For example, 30 minutes on at least five days a week.

Comparable benefits can be achieved by 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity spread across the week or combinations of moderate and vigorous intensity activity.

Older adults (aged 65 years and older):

Older adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits. Some physical activity is better than none, and more physical activity provides greater health benefits.

Older adults should aim to be active daily and, if possible, aim for the same amount of physical activity as younger adults.

The increasing urbanization and mechanization of the world has reduced our levels of physical activity. The World Health Organization believes that more than 60% of the global population is not sufficiently active.

If you are physically active you will increase your life span, regardless of any adverse inherited factors. Physical activity, at any age, protects against a multitude of chronic health problems including many forms of cardiovascular disease.

Studies show that doing more than 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate physical activity or an hour of vigorous physical activity every week will reduce your risk of coronary heart disease by about 30%.

Even if you have existing risk factors for cardiovascular disease, if you keep active the evidence suggests that this may lower your risk of premature death compared to inactive people with no risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

But if you do not keep active, the risk to your cardiovascular health is similar to that from hypertension, abnormal blood lipids and obesity.

A middle-aged woman doing less than one hour of exercise per week doubles her risk of dying from a cardiovascular event compared to a physically active woman of the same age.

The good news is that even small increases in physical fitness are associated with a significant reduction in cardiovascular risk, even if you have existing disease.

Physical activity and diabetes

If you develop diabetes you are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Physical activity is known to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. This is particularly true if you are at high risk of diabetes.

If you do have diabetes, keeping physically active will better protect your heart.

One study showed that walking at least two hours a week reduced the incidence of premature death from cardiovascular disease by about 50%. In people with diabetes exercise is thought to improve blood glucose control, which reduces the negative impact of diabetes on vascular health.

Insufficient physical activity can be defined as less than five times 30 minutes of moderate activity per week, or less than three times 20 minutes of vigorous activity per week, or equivalent.

Insufficient physical activity is the fourth leading risk factor for mortality.

Approximately 3.2 million deaths and 32.1 million DALYs – representing about 2.1 per cent of global DALYs* – each year are attributable to insufficient physical activity.

People who are insufficiently physically active have a 20 to 30 per cent increased risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who engage in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity most days of the week.

In 2008, 31.3 per cent of adults aged 15 or older (28.2 per cent men and 34.4 per cent women) were insufficiently physically active.

The prevalence of insufficient physical activity is higher in high-income countries compared to low-income countries due to increased automation of work and use of vehicles for transport in high-income countries.

High-income countries have more than double the prevalence of insufficient physical activity compared to low-income countries for both men and women, with 41 per cent of men and 48 per cent of women being insufficiently physically active in high-income countries compared to 18 per cent of men and 21 per cent of women in low-income countries.

* DALY- disability-adjusted life year is a measure of overall disease burden expressed as the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death.

Supporting a loved one while they quit is one of the most important things you can do to help them have a longer, healthier life. As a friend or family member, it is important to offer your help each step of the way. Even when quitting gets hard, telling someone they can do it can make a big difference.

Offer lots of encouragement. Don’t nag them about quitting – wait for them to say it’s time to quit. Let them know that you’re proud of them. And instead of offering advice, ask how you can help.

Give them practical help. Help make a quit kit. Include gum, toothpicks, mints – anything they might use instead of tobacco. You can even add pictures of loved ones.

Help them stay busy. It will ease the urge to use tobacco – a feeling that usually passes in five minutes or less. Make a list of things to do together, like taking walks, doing yard work, going to the movies, the mall or to smoke-free restaurants.

Let them know you understand. Have patience. It can be tough to learn new ways to do things without tobacco. Simple things, like taking a break or relaxing after a meal, can be hard. Don’t be surprised if the quitter acts grumpy or nervous. This is a normal part of quitting. And don’t take grouchy comments personally.

Offer your help. Think of ways to make the first week less stressful. Help with chores or other things.

Keep offering. Quitting is a step-by-step process. An urge to smoke can happen many months after quitting. Listen well when they talk about it, remind them how far they have come, and keep offering help.

On average, people who quit smoking gain about 10 pounds according to the World Heart Federation. Weight gain while quitting smoking can be traced to two factors.

First, you eat more. If you’re not smoking, you want to put something else in your mouth. Since you now can smell and taste food better, things like sugary and sweet foods become very attractive.

The second reason is metabolic. “Nicotine increases the metabolic rate. When you stop smoking, your metabolic rate decreases, making you gain weight.

One of the best ways to avoid weight gain while quitting smoking is to exercise. When you stop smoking, you can breathe better, walk better, run better. Take advantage of that.

Exercise also has the additional benefit of helping you burn off the nervous energy many smokers struggle with when they quit. Studies show that people who exercise while quitting smoking gain much less weight, and are twice as likely to kick the habit as those who don’t.

Quitting smoking is one of the hardest but best thing you can do. Which is why, any support that comes your way must be considered.

A surprising support is that of music. De addiction specialists say that most people can’t stay quit because they don’t know hoe to deal with cigarette cravings. Therefore, it is essential that you have a plan for when the cravings strike.

Listening to classic music like Mozart when cravings strike has proven to be extremely effective in helping people overcome the urge of smoking. Music therapists suggest that even listening to music with powerful lyrics can help combat a relapse.

Over eating is one of the biggest problems faced by people who want to control their weight. A surprising diet trend has emerged that shows that people who listen to classical music while eating their meals are more mindful of what they eat and how much they eat.

Creating a restaurant like environment at home is not only healthy but also fun.

However, it has been shown that people who eat while watching TV tend to consume almost double the quantity of food than they would if they listened to music instead.

Good eating habits take time to develop. Be sure to identify the good habits you have in place, then work to strengthen them and add new ones to the list. Make one or two changes at a time and remember that over the course of a year, small changes add up to big ones.

1. Eat regularly
This keeps ravenous hunger from sneaking up on you – and making you eat more than you normally would.

2. Eat a light, healthy dinner.
If you have had all your meals, this shouldn’t be too difficult. If you haven’t eaten all day, the smell of dinner may hit you all at once when you get home and cause you to eat more than you need to.

If you eat late and go to bed before you finish digesting your food, you won’t sleep as well or you may have trouble falling asleep.

3. Plan ahead
Pack healthy lunches and cook nutritious meals at home instead of picking up something quick at the end of the day that’s less than healthy.

4. Focus on food
Always eat at the table without distractions such as television or your computer, which can block satiety cues. It takes at least 20 minutes for your brain to signal to your stomach that you are full.

One surefire way to consume less processed food is to learn more about what you’re really eating. Here are two examples that’ll make you cringe:

Fast Food Breakfast
Eggs served in fast food joints are not exactly fresh egg. Omelets are usually made using an ‘egg blend’ that includes glycerin, a solvent found in soap and shaving cream, dimethylpolysiloxane, a silicone that can also be found in plastic, and calcium silicate, a sealant used on roofs and concrete. The age of just cracking an egg and cooking it has long since passed.

Chicken Nuggets
Chicken nuggets are made using Mechanically-separated meat, which is basically a mixture created when the bones and carcass of a leftover chicken are mixed together in a food processor.

Everyone likes a sweet treat once in a while. But if you can’t get through the day without a chocolate fix, it’s possible that you have a problem.

Some researchers believe that the release of endorphins brought about by consuming chocolate creates a physical dependency to obtain that mood high again and again, thereby suggesting it is possible to be addicted to chocolate.

Any way you look at it, your addiction to chocolate is definitely real and very hard to resist if you have become accustomed to consuming it. If you have uncontrollable cravings for chocolate, these may be some of the signs:

You feel “conditioned” to need it at certain times of the day (the post-lunch afternoon dip being one good example).
You salivate more in the presence of chocolate, or at the thought of it.
You feel negative or anxious without it, and feel better for having it.

If you are addicted to burgers and fries and just can’t let go, try making the same food on your own. Home cooked food is a lot healthier than what you get at fast food chains. It is also a whole lot lower in fat and contains no dangerous preservatives.

Directions
Stir together mayonnaise, 1/2 tablespoon parsley, 1/2 tablespoon chopped basil and lemon juice in a small bowl; set aside
Heat a gas grill to medium-high or prepare charcoal grill with medium-hot coals.
In a large bowl, stir together remaining 1/2 tablespoon each parsley and basil, chicken, onion, ricotta and bread crumbs until combined. Form into four 4-inch patties. Grill for 6 minutes per side or until internal temperature registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
Remove burgers from grill and place on buns. Top with a basil leaf, a slice of tomato and 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture

Start cooking. Many people eat fast food or junk food because they’re always on the go and have no time to cook for themselves (it’s called fast food for a reason!). Even if you don’t have much time, try learning a few quick and easy recipes.

Expand your culinary horizons. Most people find junk food very tasty, but there are also lots of meals that are healthy and delicious at the same time. If you don’t want to cook, you can still try new dishes by going to different restaurants.

Know what junk food can do to you. Unhealthy eating leads to obesity, and obesity leads to many health problems, for example coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, etc.

Stop buying junk food. You can’t eat it as long as you don’t have it! Just don’t put that pack of chips into your shopping basket next time you go to the supermarket. Buy healthy things instead- fruits for example

Resist. For two weeks go without any type of junk food. You will eventually stop craving it. This will make you feel so much better. And help you live longer with your new healthy lifestyle.

Background music has been used in the workplace for centuries. In the Industrial Age women and occasionally orchestras would be hired in the quieter factories to sing and play among the workers. In the Victorian era handloom weavers would sing together to keep awake.

The benefits of background music in the workplace were quickly recognized in stressful modern offices. Many researches showed:

• Increased productivity

• Fewer errors

• Improved alertness

• Team interaction

Background music can even prevent days taken off through illness. Research conducted by Entertainment Media Research for MusicWorks found that 1 in 3 employees are less likely to take time off sick if background music is played in the workplace.

Additional studies have shown that background music in the workplace promotes positive mood, can build team spirit, improves alertness and can reduce the number of workplace accidents

While the benefits of using background music should be evident, employers ought to consider the type of music played in a workplace to ensure that the mood and style best fits the workforce and their desired behaviour.

Background music has been used in the workplace for centuries. In the Industrial Age women and occasionally orchestras would be hired in the quieter factories to sing and play among the workers. In the Victorian era handloom weavers would sing together to keep awake.

The benefits of background music in the workplace were quickly recognized in stressful modern offices. Many researches showed:

• Increased productivity

• Fewer errors

• Improved alertness

• Team interaction

Background music can even prevent days taken off through illness. Research conducted by Entertainment Media Research for MusicWorks found that 1 in 3 employees are less likely to take time off sick if background music is played in the workplace.

Additional studies have shown that background music in the workplace promotes positive mood, can build team spirit, improves alertness and can reduce the number of workplace accidents

While the benefits of using background music should be evident, employers ought to consider the type of music played in a workplace to ensure that the mood and style best fits the workforce and their desired behaviour.

Mothers-to-be who listen to lullabies, classical music and sounds of nature are less likely to feel stressed about their pregnancy. However, this music is not just good for mums but also for the healthy development of the unborn child.

Various researches have shown that classical music, played softly can actually help develop the baby’s brain cells. What’s more, getting the fetus used to soothing music can help them be calmer babies who can sleep well when they hear the same music during the first 6 months of birth. And we all know that a baby that sleeps well can significantly lower the stress levels of the exhausted new mums.

Listening to music is one of many techniques that have been promoted for healing the heart and reducing stress. A few others include:

Transcendental meditation. Practicing the art of transcendental meditation can lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar and insulin levels, and ease stress. Other calming strategies, such as yoga or the relaxation response, can do the same.

Massage. After heart surgery, a simple massage decreased pain levels in a study at the Mayo Clinic. Whether massage affects the heart in other ways isn’t well known, but it certainly does feel wonderful.

Tai chi. The combination of simple, flowing movements and deep breathing in tai chi offers a safe, rejuvenating form of exercise for people with heart failure.

Guided imagery. A program of directed thoughts and suggestions that help you imagine a relaxed, focused state can lower blood pressure and reduce other problems related to stress.

Prayer. Personal prayer can help evoke the relaxation response, which can reduce your own stress, while praying for a loved one or friend may provide emotional or spiritual support that reduces his or her stress.

Humor. Laughter may be good medicine for the heart and circulation. In a recent study, blood flow improved in volunteers who laughed at funny movie scenes.

One thing that every man is scared of is losing hair. As frustating as it may be, hair loss is also an indicaton of chronic stress that could lead to something a lot bigger. It can increase your risk of everything from heart disease to memory impairment.

If you notice that your hair is falling out in spots or clumps, you might want to visit a hair specialist to know more.

More women are smoking now than ever before, according to a recent study. In a shocking trend, India has now more female smokers – over 12.1 million – than any country except the United States.

There seems to be a misconception that fewer women are smoking because they know it’s bad for their health. In reality, an increasing number of women smoke a pack a day.

Take the example of Chandni Mathur, a 31-year-old banker who has been smoking since she was 16. She recently met with an Apollo Hospitals De addiction specialist to discuss a plan to quit. Ms Mathur wants to quit for health reasons, but quitting does come with some consequences.

“I’m afraid that I’m going to gain weight,” she said.

Smoking increases metabolism, and on average, a smoker weighs four to 10 pounds less than a non-smoker.

Doctors say that smoking causes cardiac complications, lung diseases and skin wrinkles in women that are in their 30s and 40s. Years ago, these results were found in women that were in their 80s.

Body image experts maintain that women who smoke to lose weight are actually choosing what they think is a better quality of life.

Quality for them is defined by low weight instead of overall heath. To make it worse, society stresses that you are worth more when you weigh less. But real beauty is no longer about size. It’s about character.

Women also smoke as a way to deal with stress. Nicotine has been proven to calm users and for many becomes routine.

The good news: It’s never too early to quit smoking. Quitting at any age dramatically lowers mortality from all major smoking-related diseases.

Smokers should let their primary physician know when and why they started smoking. If they want to quit, the patients should set a quit date and ask their physician what resources are available to help them meet their goal. Patients need to be transparent with their doctors about past attempts at quitting and be aware of what didn’t work.

A park is a great place to start exercising, especially when you’ve been out of practice. A simple half an hour walk with your neighborhood friends will keep you fit, happy, and it will also get you the latest gossip!

When you have retired, taken care of your responsibilities and your young ones have settled into their own lives, it can be life- changing. This sometimes also leads to depression. To keep yourself feeling chirpy, you must find things you enjoy doing. Take it up as a hobby.

For example, if you enjoy cooking, try new cuisines. Or if you always loved to read; join a book club. If you love travelling, plan a yearly travel schedule!

A major part of maintaining heart health is to get regular check ups done. Just as you get on that weighing machine every once in a while to watch your weight, try getting into a habit of getting regular heart checks to keep a tab on the performance of your heart. This way, in case of any irregularities, you get a chance to take corrective action before it’s too late to make amends.

Women who smoke greatly increase their risk of heart disease (the leading killer among women) and stroke. The risk goes up with the number of cigarettes smoked and the length of time a woman has been smoking. Even though most of the women who die of heart disease are past menopause, smoking increases the risk more in younger women than in older women. Studies suggest that smoking cigarettes increases the risk of heart disease even more among younger women who are also taking birth control pills.

Maternal heart disease complicates at least 1% of pregnancies and is one of the most important causes of maternal death. In developing countries rheumatic heart disease remains the major cause of maternal heart disease, while in developed countries maternal congenital heart disease has become more prevalent due to the improved survival of children with congenital heart disease. In addition, the prevalence of coronary artery disease is rising because of unhealthy lifestyle and the tendency to postpone motherhood until the third decade.

If you’re on the brink of joining the desk bound corporate environment, it’s not just your stress levels that will change. Most working executives tend to work 12- hour days, eat whatever is available (aka fast food) and take to drinking excessively to wind down. Needless to say, very few of them are physically active. Now that’s not exactly how you pictured your bright future, right?

To be active is easier said than done, since all you want to do after a long week at work is sleep! However, if you start pursuing your favorite sport while you’re in college, chances are that you will find time for it even when you’re working hard. It’s a stress reliever, it’s great exercise, it gives you a chance to catch up with your friends and let’s admit it, playing a sport is a lot more fun than going to the gym.

Another reason to take up a sport for life is that you’ll always fit into your college jeans!

If you’ve been a non- smoker but have found yourself taking drags from your friend’s cigarettes, JUST DON’T DO IT!

You obviously know all the reasons why you shouldn’t be smoking (after all the repercussions are clearly mentioned on all cigarette packs). However, the simple fact is that saying no is just so much easier than quitting smoking.

An easy way to say no is just by noticing the immediate side effects of smoking in your friends: bad breath, yellowing teeth, dependency on cigarettes, no money because cigarettes are just so expensive (especially with the restricted college pocket money).

So every time you reach for that one drag, make it a point to remember the above reasons.

BHB@ Work is a fun, interactive heart-health workshop designed to deliver the message of heart-health in an exciting and involving process. BHB@ Work is based on clinically- approved solutions: Eat Healthy, Get Active, Beat Stress, Quit Smoking and Get Regular Heart Checks The workshop has been carefully designed around these five solutions. When followed regularly, these solutions can make a huge difference to the well being of corporate India. BHB@ Work is conducted by its wellness partner, VLCC and is conducted by preventive health experts from VLCC and Apollo Hospitals. The programme includes on- site heart checks as well as many fun activities like salad making competitions, trampolines etc. If you’re an employee, why not bring BHB@WORK to your boss’ attention? And if you’re an employer, we look forward to bringing the message of better heart health to your people, and your support in making this happen.

Congratulations of choosing to quit smoking. While this is great news, you’ll realize that quitting can be a difficult task, especially when cravings strike.

Most cigarette cravings last five minutes. While the craving can be powerful, there are ways to overcome them. Each time you resist a craving, you’re one step closer to stopping smoking.

So here are 10 ways to help you resist the urge to smoke when the craving strikes:

Delay. If you feel like you’re going to give in, tell yourself that you must first wait 10 more minutes and then do something to distract yourself for that period of time. This simple trick may be enough to derail the craving.

Don’t have ‘just one.’ You might be tempted to have just one cigarette to satisfy a tobacco craving. But don’t fool yourself into believing that you can stop at just one. More often than not, having just one leads to another, then another and then you’re back to square one.

Avoid triggers. Urges for tobacco are likely to be strongest in the situations where you smoked most often, such as bars, or in the car or while watching television. Identify these situations and have a plan in place so that you can get through them without smoking.

Get physical. Physical activity can help distract you from tobacco cravings and reduce the intensity of cravings. Just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity can make a tobacco craving go away.

Practice relaxation techniques. In the past, smoking may have been your way to deal with stress. Trying to resist a tobacco craving can itself be stressful. Take the edge off stress by practicing relaxation techniques.

Call your support group- Touch base with a family member, friend or support group member for moral support as you struggle to resist a tobacco craving.

Remember the benefits of quitting. Write down the reasons you want to stop smoking and resist tobacco cravings.

Go online. Join an online stop-smoking program. Or read a quitter’s blog and post encouraging thoughts for someone else who might be struggling with tobacco cravings.

Try nicotine replacements. Try a nicotine replacement product instead of a cigarette. Some types of nicotine replacement therapy, including patches, gums and e cigarettes, are available over-the-counter.

Chew on it. Give your mouth something to do to fight a tobacco craving. Chew on sugarless gum.

Myth #1: More hours spent in the gym leads to better results
In reality: If you think making the gym your second home is a great way to get results, think again. Overtraining is a surefire way to stop any muscle growth — instead of your body rebuilding its muscle tissues, it’ll continue to break it down. This means you’ll actually start to lose muscle. You need to train smarter, not harder.

Myth #2: In order to see maximum results, you must use the latest equipment
In reality: There are so many different pieces of fitness equipment out there, knowing what will deliver can be difficult. Truthfully, often the best choice is still a simple set of dumbbells. When using dumbbells to perform your workout, you will target all your core muscles.

Myth #3: Lose your love handles & gut by doing ab exercises
In reality: Ever see the guy laying in the corner doing thousands of sit-ups in his quest for a six-pack? While he may be developing unbelievably strong abs, he won’t be doing anything to reduce the layer that is covering those muscles. In order to see this specific group of muscles, you must lower your overall body fat percentage, which is best accomplished through a good cardio program and a proper nutrition plan.

Every child emulates the parent. So if you want your child to be physically and emotionally healthy, you must set some basic rules for yourself.

Make change a family affair

Children of parents who smoke are 100 per cent more likely to smoke later in life. Therefore, if you smoke, eat fast food for dinner, don’t exercise, or don’t spend quality time with the family, chances are that your child will follow your footsteps.

Make your voice heard

Rather than internally resolving to make your family healthy, have a family meeting and tell them about this resolution and the importance of it.

Sweep your house clean

Get rid of food that is unhealthy for your child. This includes colas, chips, chocolates etc. Or at least keep them in a place that your child cant reach (the top most cabinet in the kitchen, maybe?)

Exercise with your child

When you exercise, take your little one along. It will set an example and could prove to be good quality time you spend together. Take him to yoga classes or the gym, or the park. Race him to the finish line. Do whatever it takes to make physical activity a regular part of the family life.

Reward healthy behavior

When your child starts following your footsteps, make sure to give him a little something; a basketball, or let’s be realistic- a new X Box game! However, make sure to tell him about the reason for the reward.

Find answers

The Internet is a fast and easy way to seek advice. Search for how to make healthier lunch boxes or how to tackle bullying in school. It’s all there, just a click away.

If your little one has made a dent on your couch, you are most likely dealing with an inactive, television- addicted child. The bad news is that if you don’t do something about it soon, the little one wont be so little anymore and that dent is just going to grow bigger. On that note, these are few of your options:

Move the TV away from the couch.

Have a formal seating arrangement in front of the TV, instead of a couch.

Have a set TV hour. One hour for your child’s favorite cartoon. And maybe two hours on Sundays!

Take your child to a bookstore. Buy him a few books that you know he’d enjoy.

Encourage hobbies. You know your child better than anyone else, and you’d be the best judge of what could possibly interest him.

Watch the news on TV, and get your child to watch with you. Educate him about current affairs and ask him for his opinion.

Over the years, video games have become more interesting and therefore, more hard to resist. Once your child is hooked, there is no going back.

Accept the fact that getting rid of an X Box is out of the question, unless of course you want your child yelling, sobbing and sulking! But just like TV, video games too can be controlled.

Start playing video games with your child. This will help you understand the magnetic nature of video games, and trick your child into believing that you’re on his ‘team’.

New games will have to be purchased with your child’s pocket money.

Start researching about video games. Sony Wii for example has games that encourage physical activity. The days of sitting inert with a video game controller are over, lots and lots of games are now activity based.

Keep the gaming console in a locked cupboard, so each time your child wants to play he has to ask for your consent (and company).

This one is every parent’s worst nightmare. The Picky Eater is the one that throws away the food in the lunch box before returning home, flushes his glass of milk down the toilet and discretely offers the pet dog his dinner.

This leaves the parents feeling helpless and worried about the child’s lack of nutrition and healthy growth, and rightfully so. Maybe, you need to have a few tricks up your sleeve as well.

Make sure your child has milk with Bournvita in front of you, in the morning and evening.

It starts with cute little chubby cheeks but can grow into a big problem. Kids who eat too much, or are genetically more likely to gain weight are the ones who are most bullied at school. Being overweight at an early age can very largely impact your child’s self esteem and future heart health. The best thing to do is to recognize the seriousness of the matter and take action immediately.

Recognize Childhood Obesity. Sometimes this is a genetic condition, but that does not mean that it can’t be controlled. Seek advice from a pediatrician.

Insist on physical activity. Get your chubby one to take up a sport. Invest in a sports coach.